with hair ; it lays five or fix white eggs, fpotted with greyifh 
brown, chiefly at the larger end ; the principal food of the 
fpecies is beetles and other inre61;s, thefe it is faid to 
transfix oa a thorn, and tearing off the body, leaves the re- 
mainder behind ; we never noticed this curious circumftance, 
but moft writers make mention of it ; all we can fay is, that 
of numbers which we have examined, moft if not all of them, 
contained parts of the legs and wings ; in one killed on the 
fecond of July, were tv^o whole beetles and forae undigeiled 
parts, the latter were in the flate ufually found when, prepared 
for ejedling, which this fpecies does in the manner of the 
larger birds of prey. 
Both parents and young are very clamorous at the approach 
of any perfon near the neft, making a loud chattering noife ; 
the note of the brood is very fimilar to that of young fpar* 
rows. It is found plentifully in the vicinities of London and 
Briftol ; is alfo met with in fome parts of Wiltfhire, Glou- 
Cefterfhire, Somerfetfhire, Suffex, Surrey, Middlefex, ElTex, 
Hertfordfhire, and Yorkfhire, but in many other parts of this 
kingdom is entirely unknown. 
Its provincial names are Lefier Butcher-Bird, Jack-BaJ^erj 
Flufher, Shrite, and Shreek or Skreek« 
