very frequently nesting, without any attempt at conceal- 

 ment, within a few feet of human habitations. The nest 

 is generally placed at the end of a branch, at from four 

 to six feet from the ground, visible to every passer by ; 

 a young or old olive-tree is in Spain a very favourite 

 locality : the eggs much resemble those of our common 

 Red-backed Shrike or Butcher-bird, but I have never 

 met with the red variety which so frequently occurs in 

 those of the latter species. When alarmed or excited 

 the note of the Woodchat is a harsh grating cry, but it 

 has besides this a peculiar low and not unpleasant song, 

 and the country-people in Spain declare that it imitates 

 the notes of various small birds with a view to luring 

 them to their destruction ; of this story, however, I have 

 no proof, and am inclined to think that our bird as a 

 rule confines itself to an insect-diet. In captivity the 

 Woodchat becomes very tame, but I have only once 

 succeeded in keeping any of these birds through the 

 moult ; in common with most of the Shrikes that I have 

 kept caged, the Woodchat thrives admirably up to the 

 time of the autumnal migration, when most of them 

 become very restless, and after a day or two succumb to 

 fits. As long as house-flies are procurable alive, these 

 birds do well, but when that supply fails we have found 

 it difficult to " train them off" upon other food less 

 natural to them ; mealworms are readily devoured, but 

 are much too rich to be given as the sta})le diet, and the 

 same may be said of that most offensive insect the cock- 

 roach, or black beetle of the British housekeeper. 



