BIRD-NESTING. 
59 
lives in the tree, with his ogre eye on everything, is not so 
easily eluded, but he can be fought. Only if both parents 
are away at once will he get a chance. How every 
collector hates that gourmand ! But I scored off him once. 
He had swallowed the first egg in a nest, and trusted that 
he would swallow the rest as they were laid ; but I put 
in a chalk egg for his special benefit, and the marks of his 
teeth next day showed how he had struggled with it 
before he gave it up in disgust. 
But I must return to my walk. I had first to visit the 
nest of a shrike, which I had noted a week ago. This 
fearless butcher 
practises no cun- 
ning. His nest 
is fixed in the 
thorniest bush 
he can find, and 
fenced all round 
with thorny 
twigs. He is not 
much in the way 
of crows, and if SHR,KE < OR BUTCHEE bird). 
any lizard should be so silly as to show itself, it will 
