. The birds of Washington : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 372 species of birds found in the state . ered landscape, but lie is nowise concernedwith problems of ])rotective coloration. Seeking out some prominent perch,iisuallv at this time of year a dea<l greasewood or a fence-|nist, he divides histime between spying upon the early-creeping field mouse and entertaining hisladv love with outlandish music. Those who have not heard the White-rumpedShrike siiiti. have missed a treat. lie begins with a series of rasping sounds,which are probablv intended to jiroduce the same r
. The birds of Washington : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 372 species of birds found in the state . ered landscape, but lie is nowise concernedwith problems of ])rotective coloration. Seeking out some prominent perch,iisuallv at this time of year a dea<l greasewood or a fence-|nist, he divides histime between spying upon the early-creeping field mouse and entertaining hisladv love with outlandish music. Those who have not heard the White-rumpedShrike siiiti. have missed a treat. lie begins with a series of rasping sounds,which are probablv intended to jiroduce the same receptive condition in his THE WHITE-RUMPED SHRIKE. 355 audience which Ole Hull secured by awkwardly Ijreaking- one string- after an-other on his violin, till only one was left. There, howe\er. the resemblanceceases, for where the virtuoso could extract a melody of mar\eliius \ariety andsweetness from his single string, the bird produces the sole note of a struckanvil. This pours forth in successive three-syllabled phrases like the metallicanl reiterative clink of a freely falling hammer. The chief difference which. Taken in Dough THE SIIRIKKS PKKSKKVIi. appears between this love song and the ordinary call of warning or excitementis that in the latter case the less tender passions have weighted the clanginganvil with scrap iron and destroyed its resonance. The Shrike is a bird of prey but he is no restless prowler or iKnerer, wear-ing out his wings with incessant flight—not he. Choosing rather a commandingposition on a telegra])h wire, or ex])osed l)ush top. he searches the ground withhis eye until he detects some sus])icious movement of insect, mouse, or he dives down amongst the sage, and if successful returns to his ])OSt todevour at leisure. The bird does not remain long enough at one station to in-spire a permanent dread in the local i)opulation of comestibles: but rathermoveson from ]iost to post at short inter\-als and in nietliodical fashion. In flight the 35
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidbirdsofw, booksubjectbirds
