Cambridge, Massachusetts.
1900.
Dec. 21.
(12)
  "To-day in Mr. William Brewster's garden I witnessed the
catching, putting into the forks of branches, the impaling
and eating of an English Sparrow by a Northern Shrike (Lanius
borealis). It was a remarkable and never-to-be-forgotten
sight. I was sitting at my window in the Museum at about
twenty-five minutes after twelve. The sky was cloudy, there
was no breeze, the mercury was 39 degrees, and the air was chilly.
Suddenly I saw a Shrike, doubtless the same bird that I saw
and heard sing on December 18th, alight in the cluster of li-
lacs now bare of leaves between me and the house and but a
few rods away. I called Gilbert, Mr. Brewster's assistant, who
was in the adjoining room and he saw with me everything that
I shall relate. The Shrike in a few seconds darted through
the lilacs in hot pursuit of an English sparrow. He overtook
and pounced on his prey just outside the lilacs within full
sight of us, by the path that leads past the pond. The Spar-
row, however, escaped and, darting along the edge of a shrub-
bery directly towards us, sank into the bushes by the path
running by my front window. The Shrike following plunged into
the bushes also but soon appeared above the clump without the
Sparrow, but all animation, his tail in active motion. Im-
mediately the Sparrow darted from beneath the bush over the
board walk in front of the Museum. The Shrike darted after
it like lightning, and we hastened to the window in the entry,
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