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• , L anius boreal Is. 
1892. Mass . 
March S. Co ncord . - As I was watching a Shrike it flew from the topmost Kills a 
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spray of a small maple into some alders and alighted on a .Field, 
horizontal stem about a foot above the level of the surrounding Mouse . 
snoWj but directly beneath, as I afterwards found, the snow had 
thawed quite down to the ground leaving a trench about two feet 
deep by three or four inches wide into which the Shrike^ sudden- 
ly dropped,- after peering intently for a moment, with fluttering 
wings and wide spread tail. Within a second or less it re- 
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appeared dragging out a Field Mouse ( Ariyioola rip aria ) oi the 
largest size. The moment it got the mouse fairly out on the 
hard surface of the snow it dropped it apparently to get a 
fresh hold (as nearly as I could make out it had held it^up to 
this time ; by about the middle of the back). The Mouse, instead 
of attempting to regain its runaway, as I expected it woul dy do, 
instantly turned on its assailant and with surprising fierce- 
ness and agility sprang directly at its head many times in 
succession, literally driving it backward several feet^ although 
the Shrike faced its attacks with admirable steadiness and 
coolness and by a succession of vigorous and well aimed blows 
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prevented the Mouse from closing in. At length the Mouse seem- 
ed to lose heart and turning, tried to escape. This sealed its 
fate at the end of the second leap. it was overtaken by the 
Shrike who caught it by the back of the neck and began to worry 
it precisely as a ^Perrier worries a Rat, shaking it viciously 
