kind of fare, as it will attack fmall birds, particularly fucli aS 
are weak or difeafed, and difpatches them with its bill, with 
which it immediately cleaves the fkull, and picks out the 
brains, but moftly leaves the body for another meal, firft 
carefully covering it with leaves, or any fubftance that may 
be in the way. 
The female builds her neft in the holes of trees or walls, 
fhe forms it of mofs, well lined with feathers, hair, and wool, 
and lays from fix to eight eggs, fome writers alTert they lay 
from fourteen to twenty ; in thofe we have had an opportunity 
of examining, we never found more than eight, and moft 
generally but fix or feven, they are of a clear tranfparent 
white, finely fplafhed with bright rufl colour at the larger end. 
They are very tenacious of their nefl ; fhould any one 
approach it while eitU-r of them are fitting, they ere6l: their 
feathers, and place themfelves in a pofture of defence, and 
continue to make a noife fimilar to the hiffing of fnakes^ 
during the intrufion. 
