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ORD. II. GEN. I. SHRIKE. 



SPE. II. RED-BACKED SHRIKE. 



PI. 30. 



Lanlus CoUurio. Lin. Syft. I. p. 136. 

 L'E'corcheun Brif. Orn. II. p. 151. 



The length of this bird is feven inches and a half, breadth of the wings eleven 

 inches, weight two ounces. The bill is of a horn colour : eyes brown : from 

 the bafe of the upper mandible a broad line of black paffes through and beyond 

 the eye : the head, and lower part of the back, are of a light grey : upper part 

 of the back, and wing coverts, bright chefnut colour : throat white : under 

 parts of the body of a beautiful bloffom colour: quills brown: the two middle 

 feathers of the tail are longeft, and entirely black, the outer edges of the others 

 white, and the outermoft wholly white : legs dark brown : wings very fhort. 



The female is a very little larger than the male : the colour above brown : 

 beneath dull white, croffed with brown lines : through the eye a ftreak of brown. 



This bird is common to almoft every part of England, but like the laft only 

 a fummer refident. It builds its neft.in thick hedge rows, in a carelefs open 

 manner, and lays five or fix eggs. It feeds on young birds, eggs, and infefts 

 of every defcription. This bird has a fingular method of providing food in 

 readinefs for the wants of its young. It felefts a thorny bufh near the neft, and 

 on the prickles of it fticks parts of young birds, torn to pieces, with chaffers, 

 beetles, large bees, and other infers, and has a number of viflims always 

 hanging up, to fupply its young whenever they are hungry. From this prac- 

 tice it is commonly called the butcher-bird. 



For the egg, fee PI. VII. Fig. 3. 



