THE BUTCHER BIRD. 
27 
nearly a foot in length ; its bill is black, an inch long, and 
hooked at the end; at the same time its legs and feet are 
slender, and its toes are formed rather like those of such as 
live chiefly upon insects and grain. Its plumage on the back 
's pale ash-colour, the belly is white, and a black stripe runs 
from the beak parallel with its eyes. Its habits seem to cor- 
respond with its conformation, and it lives as well upon flesh 
as upon insects, and thus partakes in some measure of a 
double nature. Its appetite for flesh, however, is the most 
prevalent ; and it never takes up with the former when it can 
obtain the latter. This bird, therefore, leads a life of continual 
combat and opposition. As from its size it does not much 
terrify the smaller birds of the forest, so it very frequently 
meets birds willing to try its strength, and it never declines 
the engagement. In Russia it is trained for catching small 
birds like a falcon. 
It is wonderful to see with what intrepidity this little crea- 
ture goes to war with the pie, the crow, and the kestril, all 
above four times larger than itself. It not only fights upon the 
defensive, but often comes to the attack, and always with ad- 
vantage, particularly when the male and female unite to pro- 
tect their young, and to drive away the more powerful birds 
of rapine. At that season, they do not wait the approach of 
their invader ; it is sufficient that they see him preparing for 
the assault at a distance. It is then that they sally forth with 
loud cries, wound him on every side, and drive him off with 
such fury, that he seldom ventures to return to the charge. 
In these disputes, they generally come off with the victory, 
though it sometimes happens that they fall to the ground 
with the bird they have so fiercely fixed upon, and the com- 
bat ends with the destruction of the assailant as well as of the 
defender. 
For this reason, the most redoubtable birds of prey respect 
them ; while the kite, the buzzard, and the crow, seem rather 
to fear than seek the engagement. Nothing in nature better 
displays the respect paid to the claims of courage, than to 
see this little bird, apparently so contemptible, fly in company 
with the lanner, the falcon, and all the tyrants of the air with- 
out fearing their power, or avoiding their resentment. 
As for small birds, they are its usual food. It seizes them 
by the throat, and strangles them in an instant. When it 
lias thus killed the bird or insect, it is asserted that it fixes 
them upon some neighbouring thorn, and, when thus spitted, 
pulls them to pieces with its bill. It is supposed that as na- 
ture has not given this bird strength sufficient to tear its prey 
to pieces with its feet, as the hawks do, it is obliged to have 
recourse to this extraordinary expedient. 
