178 
This bird chiefly haunts inclosed, moist, 
situations, and makes its nest in some 
thick hedge ; which nest is composed of 
moss and fibrous roots put together with 
wool, and lined with hair. It lays five or 
six eggs, of a blueish-coloured white, with 
cinereous-brown spots, most numerous at 
the larger end, sometimes the eggs are 
while, with dusky spots; at other times 
they are of a white colour, encircled at 
the larger end with a ring of brownish red. 
When sitting on the nest, the female 
soon discovers herself at the approach of 
any person, by her loud and violent ouU 
cries. It feeds its young (which resemble 
the female parent in plumage) with 
insects, particularly the Cock Chafer and 
Grasshoppers, and also with the young 
of other birds. 
It has the same propensities as the 
former species. 
The red-backed Shrike is not only 
pretty generally diffused throughout Eu« 
rope, but from the observations of Mons, 
Levaillant, appears to be equally common 
Africa, 
