166 
SHRIKES. 
1 
tell, almost to a certainty, what species of Hawk is approaching, 
without running the risk of discovery, by looking out from 
his retreat. Were it not for the penetrating and keen eye of 
this his watch bird, he would sit many dreary hours to no 
purpose, as he would not know when to pull the Pigeons out 
to lure the Hawk. Like most other birds, they appear con- ; 
stant to particular spots for breeding. jj 
A bird- collector, in the island of Anglesea, mentioned his 
having, for many seasons, found a few in, or near, a certain i 
field : his mode of catching them was by watching the twigs 1 
on which they perched, on returning to their nest ; these he 
prepared with bird-lime, and seldom failed capturing several 
specimens. 
Some of the foreign species of Shrikes have an addition of I 
plumage, of a fanciful character. The annexed engraving is 
a representation of the Puff-hacked Shrike ; the light downy l 
tuft hears a close resemblance to a powder-puff ; it must add 
either to the comfort or convenience of the bird, though in i 
what way we can form 
no opinion. i 
After the Shrikes, 
we find in the tables ! 
the Thrush genus (see 
Table VII., page 12), I 
of which we have in 
England seven species, ! 
viz., — 1. Missel-Thrush,* i. 
2. Fieldfare; 3. Song- j| 
Thrush; 4. Redwing; J 
5. Ring-Ousel; 6. Black- 
bird ; and 7. Water- 
Ousel or Dipper. 
The first of these, the Missel- Thrush, is not only the largest, 
hut the finest and boldest of the family, and has some claims 
to our esteem, from its being the earliest song-bird of the 
year ; often favouring us with its notes, at a season when 
every other bird slinks away to its hiding-place, glad to 
escape the inclemency of the weather. In the height of a 
