THE GEEAT SHEIKE, OE BTJTCHEE-BIED. 
for this is her devise. She will stand at pearche upon some 
tree or poste, and there make an exceeding lamentable crye and 
exclamation, snch as birdes are wont to doe, being wronged or 
in hazard of mischiefe, and all to make other feules believe and 
thinke that she is very much distressed, and standes needful of 
ayde ; whereupon the credulous sillie birdes doe flock together 
presently at her call ; at what time if any happen to be near 
her die out of hand, ceazeth on them, and devoureth them (un- 
gratefull subtill feule !) in requital of their semplicity and pains. 
“ These hawkes are in no accompt with us ; but poor simple 
fellowes and peasants sometime doe make them to the fiste, 
and being reclaimed after their unskillful manner, -doe bear 
them hooded, as falconers doe other kind of hawkes, whom they 
make to greater purposes. Here I end of this hawke, because 
I wish accompt to be worthy the name of a hawke in whom 
there resteth no valour or hardiness, or yet deserves to have 
any more writters of her propertie and nature more than she 
was in mine author (Francesco Sforzino Vyncentino), specified 
as a member of my division, and there repeated in this number 
of long-winged hawkes. Too truely, it is not the propertie of 
any other hawke by such devise and cowardly will to come by 
their prey, but they have to winne it by main force of winges 
at random as the round-winged hawkes doe, or by free stooping 
as the hawkes of the lower do most commonly use, as the 
falcon, ger -falcon, sacre, merlyn, and such like which doe lie 
upon the wing, roving in the ayre and ruff the foule or kill it 
at the encounter.” 
In Bengal, birds of this family are trained to fight after the 
ancient manner of our cocks. Each bird is “ braced,” and a 
foot or so of string allowed it, the end of which its human 
“ second ” holds. They are then placed before each other, and 
peck, and maul, and tear, till one is prostrate. Stanley tells 
us, that in parts of India shrikes are taught to thieve, by 
pouncing on and bearing off the ornaments of precious metal 
sometimes worn in the head-dress of the females of the upper 
class of natives. 
And now comes the pleasantest part of the task of writing 
about the butcher-bird — to bear testimony to its good qualities. 
Much as it resembles the hawks and falcons in many of its 
habits, it is their superior in one respect; for, whereas the 
falcons invariably not only cease to harbour their fledglings 
after they have attained a certain growth, but drive them 
away, and set their beaks and talons against them, the butcher- 
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