r 6o SS HII RR II KK EE..
4*
ef- GJtEAT
CINEREOUS
Hi 1
iLanius excubitor, Lin.'Syfi. i. p. ,135. N° g i.—Scop, ann. i. p. 23. N° 18«
—rMuller. p. 11.—Brun. 21, .22.
La pie-griefche grife, Brif. orn. ii. p. 141. N° i .—Buf. oi/. i, p. 296.jp!.
20.—PI. enl. 445.
Neun-toeder, Fri/ch. t. 60. M. andF.—Kram. p. 364.
Caflrica palombina, Olin. uccel. t. 41. *
Greater Butcher-Bird, or Mattagefs, Rati fyn. p. 18. A. 3.—Will. orn. p.
_8t. pi. io .—Albin.'ii. pi. 13.
Great Shrike; Br. Zool. vol. i. N° 71. pi. 33.— Catejb* Car. app. p. 36»—
.Amir. Zool. N° . - • ~f
Br. Muf. Lev. Mu/.
D£SCRlFTI:OtN. T ^ E N G TH ten inches. Bill black : plumage on the upper parts
pale alh-colour ; the under white : through the eyes a black
Itripe: fcapulars white: bafe o f the greater quills white; the
reft bla ck: the tail fomewhat cuneiform s the two middle feathers
;Fema-le.
are b la ck; the outmoft on each fide white; thofe between are
black, with the ends more or lefs white : the legs are black.
The female is not much unlike the male, differing chiefly in the
under parts, which are of a dulky white, marked with tranfverfe
femicircular brown lines.
Place. This inhabits many parts o f Europe and North America. The
female lays fix eggs, about as big as thofe o f a Thrufh, o f a dull
olive-green, fpotted at the thickeft end with black: it makes it’s
neft with heath and mofs, lining it with wool and gofiamer *.
- It is pretty common in France, but I no where find it the cafe in
Man-ners.
refpedt to England.
The manners of this bird are fingular, and worthy o f record.
* Br. Zool.
i t
/
S H R I K E.
It feeds on infedts and fmall birds, the Jatter of which it feizes by
■ the throat, and after ftrangling, fixes them on a Iharp thorn, and
pulls them to pieces with its bill*: it will often do this when
kept in a cage, flicking the food againft the wires of it f . In
fpring and fummer it imitates the voices of other birds, by
way of decoying them within reach, that it may deftroy them;
but beyond this, the natural note is the fame throughout all
feafons. I f a trap-fall be baited with a living fmall bird, it
proves a decoy, by which it may be taken in winter. It is
obferved to be mute when kept in a cage, though feemingly
content.
In countries where they are plenty, the hufbandmen value
them, on fuppofition of their deftroying rats, mice, and other
vermin. Suppofed to live five or fix years J. Often trained up
for .catching fmall birds in Rujfia ||. M. Salem % calls it a Lanner
of .the fmalleft fort. In Carniola it is migratory, coming in May,
and departing in September **; which is the cafe alfo in refpeSt to
the few which are met with in England ftf.
Xa grande Pie-griefche grife, Sri/, or». ii. p. 146. N° 2.
Groflere Neun-toder, Frifcb. t. 59. male and female. V ar. A.
tjefner’s great Butcher-bird, Will. orn. p. 88.
npIIIS fpecies is clearly no other than a variety of the laft D e s c r i p t io n .
mentioned, differing only in the lelfer wing coverts and
fcapular? being fomew'hat of a rufous colour; it is of a much
f JBr. Zool. | Olina uccel.jp. 41.
§ Orn. p. 28. ** Scop. ami. i. p. 23.
• Fdnxt.xol. v. p.233.
H Ed<w. vol. v. p. 231.
f t Albin.xol.,ii. p.-i3.
Y greater