C 195 1 



The BuTCHER-BlRD. 



Mr. Bell, a curious and inquifitive gentle* 

 man, long a refident in Ruflia, informed his 

 friend, Mr. Colinfon, (April 5th, 1745) that the 

 Great, or Afh- coloured Butcher-bird, is often 

 taken by the bird-catchers in RufTia, and made 

 tame. Mr. Bell had one given him ; and he 

 fixed a fharpened flick, or long fkewer, in the 

 wall, for the bird to roofl on, with the point 

 outward : but the curiofity was, the Angular na- 

 ture of the bird ; for if he let fly a fmall bird, 

 either linnet or green-finch, he would prefently 

 fly from his perch, and feize the little bird in a 

 particular manner by the throat, which flops his 

 breath, and foon kills him. The next extraordi- 

 nary thing obfervable was his carrying the bird 

 he had juil killed to his perch, and fpitting it 

 on the fharp-pointed flick, drawing it on with 

 his bill and claws ; and thus would he ferve one 

 bird after another, fpitting them and letting 

 them hang by the neck, until he eat them at his 

 Jeifure. The inflindl of fpitting the dead birds 



to enable him the better to pull them to 



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