very frequently nesting, without any attempt at concealment,
within a few feet of human habitations. The nest
is generally placed at the end of a branch, at from four
to six feet from the ground, visible to every passer by;
a young or old olive-tree is in Spain a very favourite
locality: the eggs much resemble those of our common
Red-backed Shrike or Butcher-bird, but I have never
met with the red variety which so frequently occurs in
those of the latter species. When alarmed or excited
the note of the Woodchat is a harsh grating cry, but it
has besides this a peculiar low and not unpleasant song,
and the country-people in Spain declare that it imitates
the notes of various small birds with a view to luring
them to their destruction; of this story, however, I have
no proof, and am inclined to think that our bird as a
rule confines itself to an insect-diet. In captivity the
Woodchat becomes very tame, but I have only once
succeeded in keeping any of these birds through the
moult; in common with most of the Shrikes that I have
kept caged, the Woodchat thrives admirably up to the
time of the autumnal migration, when most of them
become very restless, and after a day or two succumb to
fits. As long as house-flies are procurable alive, these
birds do well, but when that supply fails we have found
it difficult to “ train them off” upon other food less
natural to them; mealworms are readily devoured, but
are much too rich to be given as the staple diet, and the
same may be said of that most offensive insect the cockroach,
or black beetle of the British housekeeper.