132 THE GREAT AMERICAN SHRIKE. 



Turtle Dove, which, on being nearly caught, pitched on the ground, where 

 its skull was bruised in a moment; but the next instant both birds were in 

 my possession. 



The courage, activity, and perseverance of this species, are quite sur- 

 prising. In winter, when insects are scarce, and small birds rare in the 

 Eastern States, I have known it to enter the cities and attack birds in cages. 

 During my stay at Boston, several of them were brought to me, that had 

 been caught in the apartments in which cages containing Canaries were kept, 

 and in every instance after the little favourite had been massacred. Near 

 the same city I observed an individual poised on wing, in the manner of our 

 Sparrow Hawk, for several minutes at a time, over the withered grass and 

 sedges of salt water meadows, when it suddenly pounced on some small bird 

 concealed there. 



Although its feet are small and apparently weak, its claws are sharp, and 

 it is capable of inflicting a pretty severe wound on the finger or hand. It 

 bites with great pertinacity, and will seldom let go its hold unless its throat 

 is squeezed. 



Its flight is strong, swift, and sustained: it moves through the air in long 

 undulations which have each an extent of twenty or thirty yards, but it 

 seldom rises very high, unless for the purpose of obtaining a good point of 

 observation, and in its usual flight merely passes over the tops of the low 

 bushes rapidly and in silence, in starts of from fifty to a hundred yards. I 

 never saw one walk or move on the ground. 



They are extremely fond of crickets and grasshoppers, as well as other 

 kinds of insects, and they feed on the flesh of birds whenever they can pro- 

 cure it. The individuals which I have kept in cages, appeared well pleased 

 with pieces of fresh beef, but they generally remained dull and sullen until 

 they died. As it was only during winter that I had them in confinement, 

 when no coleopterous insects could be procured, I had no opportunity of 

 observing if, like Hawks, they have the power of throwing up hard particles 

 of the food which they swallow, although I should suppose this to be the case. 

 Their propensity to impale insects and small birds on the sharp points of 

 twigs and on thorns, which they so frequently do at all seasons of the year, 

 is quite a mystery to me, as I cannot conceive what its object may be. 



I have represented three of these birds of different sexes and ages, and 

 therefore differing in colour and size. 



Great American Shrike or Butcher-bird, Lanius Exciibitor, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. 



i. p. 74. 

 Lanius septentrionalis, Bonap. Syn., p. 72. 

 Lanius borealis, Greater Northern Shrike, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. ii. 



p. 111. 



