§96 COLLATED SHRIKE. 



food, it being impossible for it to consume the 

 whole of what it collects. Its general practice is 

 to perch on the top of trees, and especially on dry 

 branches, from which it pounces indiscriminately 

 on whatever offers, and when hungry^ visits its 

 gibbets, and takes off what it prefers. The Hot- 

 tentots, says Monsr. Levaillant, pretend that it 

 does not love fresh food, and therefore purposely 

 leaves its prey to putrify; it is certain however 

 that it very rarely devours what it has lately 

 taken. It is fortunate, adds this author, that Na- 

 ' ture has not combined strength with so much 

 cruelty; for had this bird been of the size of an 

 Eagle, it would have been the scourge of the ani^ 

 mal world. We need only watch this Shrike for a 

 single minute in order to witness its ravages ; and 

 if we take the pains to examine the spot it frequents, 

 we are sure to find on every bush and tree the 

 victims which it has transfixed, the major part of 

 which are often so dried as to be unfit for his food,:^ 

 a proof of his singularly destructive instinct. It 

 is a bold, vindictive, and very noisy bird, suffering 

 no bird of prey to approach his domain: many 

 other birds however profit of his collections, which 

 are so scattered that he is unable to preserve the 

 whole. The young bird differs greatly in colour^ 

 the prevailing tinge being rufous brown. 



