Cambridge, Mass.
1910.
Jan. 30 [January 30, 1910]
(no 2)
with less persistence and equally poor success.
Shrike and 
House Sparrow
After this second failure the Shrike left the Sparrow
entangled among some twigs and went on a prospecting
tour through the lilacs, examining critically every fork
that attracted its attention. Flitting from branch
to branch it passed around a jutting corner of 
the house and was lost to my view for several minutes.
When it returned I knew at once that it had
found what it was seeking for it picked up the
Sparrow in its bill and again flew around the corner
of the house, this time in a direct, decided course.
Following the line of its flight I came upon it in
the eastern cluster of lilacs near the gate that opens
into the head of our driveway. Here it was engaged
in pulling the neck of the Sparrow into a fork which
proved sufficiently narrow at the base to permit the head