Male Downy 
kills 
Leinal e 
if repulsive, interest. It would have made no difference 
anyway, for this final onslaught lasted only a very few 
seconds. During its continuance the male Downy seemed 
literally beside himself with rage. No Butcher Bird that 
I have ever watched has shown, while dealing with a Mouse 
or Sparrow, more murderous energy. After finishing the 
foul deed he left the female lying perfectly motionless 
and flew up again into the elm. We now went out and picked 
up the female. She was still living but unable to move. 
The of her head was soaked in blood and her bare 
skull showed in places. She died a little later. I 
skinned her and preserved her skull which I have attached 
to the skin. It is punctured in 10 or 13 places . The 
bird was in normal condition physically with healthy- 
looking ovary, the ovules undeveloped. The only injuries 
were to the skull. 
There can be little or no doubt that the unfor¬ 
tunate female Downy just referred to is the bird which we 
have seen at least once and often several times, daily, 
at the suet in the lilac,| on March 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17. 
f 
No male has been seen with her until this morning, although 
there was one drumming in the big elm and afterwards 
climbing up a locust tree in front of the house yesterday 
morning. What led up to the tragedy above described can 
only be conjectured. My guess is that the female came 
7 
