RUT 
contemptible in appearance^ fly iri company with 
the falcon, and the other tyrants of the air, ic- 
gardlefs either of their power or refentment. 
The Butcher-Bird feizes fmall birds by their 
throats, and ftrangles them in an ihftant ; the Ger- 
mans therefore give it the name of the wurchangel, 
or the fufFocating angel. When it has thus killed 
any birds or infe6ls, it fixes them on fome neigh- 
bouring thorn, and dieh pulls them to pieces with 
it's bill. If confined in a cage, it treats it's food 
in much the fame manner ; ftriking it againft the 
wires before it attempts to devour it. Nature has 
not furnifhed it with ftrength fufficient to tear it's 
prey to pieces with it's feet, as the hawks do ; and 
it is therefore obliged to have recourie to the above 
expedient. During fummer, fuch of the Butcher- 
Birds as conftantly refide here, remain among the 
mountainous parts of the country ; but in winter 
they defcend into the plains, and approach nearer to 
human habitations. The nefts of the larger kinds 
are built in the higheft trees; butthofe of the fmailcr 
are concealed in bufhes in the fields, and hedge- 
rows. They lay about fix eggs, which are white, 
encircled at their larger ends with rings of a brown- 
' ilh r^d colour. The outfides of their nells are com- 
pofed of white mofs interwoven with long grafs ; 
their infides are well lined with wool; and they 
are ufually fixed among the forked branches of 
trees. When the young are produced, the female 
feeds them with caterpillars and other infedts; but 
in a Ihort time afterwards fhe accuftoms them to 
flefh, which the male is very afliduous in pro- 
curing. 
In their parental care, they differ from mofb other 
birds of prey; for, inftead of driving out their 
young from their nefts to fhift for themfelves, they 
carefully attend them, and do not forfake them 
even when they are capable of providing for them- 
felves ; and the whole brood live together in one fa- 
mily. Each family ufually confifts of the male, fe- 
male, and five or fix young ones ; peace and fubor- 
dination is preferved among them ; and they ufu- 
ally hunt together. Thefe birds are eafily dif- 
tinguiftiable at a diftance, not only from their be- 
ing in fmall parties, but from their peculiar manner 
of flying, which is feldom direft, or fideways, but 
generally moving up and down. 
BuTCHER-BiRD, Greater. This fpecies 
weighs about three ounces, and is about ten inches 
long and fourteen broad. It's bill is one inch long, 
black, and hooked at the extremity ; the noftrils arc 
oval, covered with black briftles pointing down- 
wards ; the head is very large, and the mufcles 
which move the bill are ftrong and thick. The 
crown of the head, the back, and the coverts on the 
joints of the wings, are cinereous ; the reft of the 
coverts arc black; the quill-feathers are black, 
with a broad white bar in the middle of each; and 
all of them are tipped with white, except the four 
firft, and four of thofe next the body. The tail 
is compofed of twelve feathers, the longeft of which 
is in the middle; each fide of the head is white, 
with a broad black ftroke crolTing from the bill to 
. the hind part of the head ; the throat, breaft, and 
belly, are of a dirty white; and the legs are black. 
The female is of the fame colour with the male, 
except on the breaft and belly, which are marked 
with numerous femicircular lines. 
Butcher-Bird, Red-Backed. The male of 
this fpecies weighs about two ounces, and the fe- 
male fomething more. The length of the male is 
fevcn inches and a half, and the breadth eleven 
BUT 
inches; the head and the lower part of the back are 
of a fine light grey; and a broad black ftripe runs 
acrofs the eyes frOm the bill. The upper part ot 
tiie back and the coverts of the wings are of a 
bright iron colour; the breaft, belly, and fides, are 
of an elegant bloflx)m colour; the two middle fea- 
thers of the tail are the longeft, and entirely blackj 
and the lower parts of the others are white. In the 
female, the ftripe acrofs the eyes is of a reddifla 
brown; the head is of a dull ruft colour inclining 
to grey ; the breaft, belly, and fides, are of a cream 
colour, marked with femicircular dufky lines ; and 
the tail is of a deep brown> except that, in both the 
male and female, the exterior webs of the outward 
feathers on each fide are white. Theie birds 
build their nefts in low buflies, and lay about fix 
white eggs, encircled on their larger ends with 
brownifti red rings. 
BuTCHER-BiRD,. Cream-Breasted, frequently 
called the Wood-chat. The bill is of the colour 
of horn ; the feathers which furround the bafe are 
whitifli; a black line crofl^es the eyes, and falls 
downwards on each fide of the neck ; the head, and 
the hind part of the neck, are of a bright bay; the 
upper part of the back is dufl<y; the coverts of the 
wings and the tail are alfo dufl<:y ; the quill-feathers 
are black, with a white fpot on each towards the 
bottom ; the throat, breaft, and belly, are of a cream 
colour; the two middle feathers of the tail are 
black; and the exterior edges and tips of the reft arc 
white. In the female, the upper part of the head, 
the neck, and the body, are reddifti, ftriated with, 
brown; the lower parts of the body are of a cream 
colour, with rays of brown ; and the tail is reddilh, 
inclining to brown, and tipped with red. 
Butcher-Bird, Crested. The bill of this 
bird is fomewhat like that of a hawk, but longer. 
Behind each eye there is a black (pot, in fliape like 
a crefcent; black briftles proje£t round the bafis 
of the upper mandible of the bill ; the creft, o»- 
crown of the head, is of a reddifh colour; the up- 
per fide of the neck, the back, the rump, and the 
upper fide of the tail, are red, or rufl^et, but not fo 
vivid as the creft. The fides of tiie head round 
the eyes, the throat, breaft, belly, thighs, and co- 
verts under the tail, are of a dirty pale orange co- 
lour, with tranfverfe dufl<:y lines ; the wings are 
brown, the greater feathers being fomewhat darker 
than the coverts, and edged with a lighter brown ; 
the legs, feet, and claws, are black; the under 
fide of the tail is of a clay colour, the middle fea- 
thers being the longeft; and the fide feathers gra- 
dually decreafe in length. 
This bird is a native of Bengal, where it is called 
charah. 
BuTCHER-BiRD, Least. This bird refembles 
the long-tailed tit-moufe, and is hardly larger; an 
evident proof that an animal's courage or rapacity 
does not depend on it's fizc. The bill is yellow, 
fhort, ftrong, and convex ; the circle round the eyes 
is of a bright orange colour; and from the bafis of 
the bill rifes a broad black bar, which encircles the 
eye, and tending downwards below it, terminates 
in a point. The throat and_ fides of the head 
are white ; the crown of the head is of a blueifti afli 
colour; the breaft is faintly tinftured with a blof- 
fom colour; the beginning of the belly is whitifh, 
the thighs, and thofe parts towards the vent, be- 
coming darker; the fides under the wings are 
clouded with orange colour; the covert-feathers 
under the tail are black; the upper fide, neck, 
back, and tail^ are of a red brown, inclining to 
2 I orange J 
