PLA ASG CLARY. 
Wood Chat. Penn. Br. Zool. N° 73. 
-——— Lath. Gen. Syn. 1. p. 169. 17. 
Lanius rufus. Suppl. p. 282. 
La Pie-griefche roufle. Brif. Orn. 2. p. 147. N° 3. 
Buff. Oif. 1. p. 301. 
—— Pl.enl. 9. fi 2. the male.— 31. f. 1. the 
Jemale. 
Kleiner Neun-toder. Frifch. pl. 61. male and female. 
——— 

We have only three fpecies of Butcher-birds, or Shrikes, in this 
country : the Great, Red-backed, and Wood Chat, The firft is very 
fcarce: the fecond is not common; and the laft is extremely rare: 
fo that we have little opportunity to notice the fingular manners of this 
tribe. Nature feems to have allotted more than an ordinary fhare of 
courage to thefe little creatures: they equal the eagle in the fiercenefs 
of their attacks on fmaller birds, and defend themfelyes againft thofe 
they cannot overcome with the greateft vigour and refolution. 
Though in this re{pect they imitate the larger carnivorous birds, they 
have not, like them, claws {trong enough to tear their prey to pieces, 
but, to fupply this defedt, they faften it on a thorn and pull it afunder 
with their bill. Even when confined ina cage, it is faid that they 
treat their food in a fimilar manner, fticking it againft the wires be- 
fore they eat it. 
We now fpeak of the manners generally peculiar to the tribe: 
how far thofe of the Wood Chat accord with them, we Gat only 
_ prefume from being of the fame genus; no Englifh naturalift having 
vet been fo fortunate as to meet with it fince Willoughby and Ray. 
Pennant 
