. A history of British birds : the figures engraved on wood . cere ; the tongue Is divided atthe end ; the outer toe is conne<Sl:ed to the middle oneas far as the first joint. To these exterior marks maybe added, that it possesses the most undaunted courage,and will attack birds much larger and stronger than it-self, such as the Crow, the Magpie, and most of thesmaller kinds of Hawks: if any of these should fly nearthe place of its retreat, the Shrike darts upon it with M 2 94 BRITISH BIRDS. loud cries, attacks the Invader, and drives it from itsnest. The parent birds will sometimes join on
. A history of British birds : the figures engraved on wood . cere ; the tongue Is divided atthe end ; the outer toe is conne<Sl:ed to the middle oneas far as the first joint. To these exterior marks maybe added, that it possesses the most undaunted courage,and will attack birds much larger and stronger than it-self, such as the Crow, the Magpie, and most of thesmaller kinds of Hawks: if any of these should fly nearthe place of its retreat, the Shrike darts upon it with M 2 94 BRITISH BIRDS. loud cries, attacks the Invader, and drives it from itsnest. The parent birds will sometimes join on such oc-casions; and there are few birds that will venture toabide the contest. Shrikes will chase all the small birdsupon the wing, and sometimes will venture to attackPartridges, and even young hares. Thrushes, Black-birds, and such like, are their common prey ; they fix onthem with thew- talons, split the skull with their bill, andfeed on them at leisure. There are three kinds found in this kingdora, of whichtli£ following is the largest. SiJ^^?. GREAT ASH-COLOURED SHRIKE. MURDERING PIE, OR GREAT BUTCHER BIRD.{^Lanitu excuhitory Liii.—La Ple-Griefchegri/ey Buff.) The length about t^n inches. Its bill is black, andfurnished with bristles at the base: the upper parts ofits plumage are of a pale blue ash colour *, the underparts whit^ ; a black stripe passes through each eye ; the BRITISH BIRDS. 95 greater quills are black, with a large white spot at thebase, forming a bar of that colour across the wing ; thelesser qnills are white at the top ; the scapulars arewhite ; the two middle feathers of the tail are black;the next on each side are white at the ends, gradually-increasing to the outermost, which are nearly all white ;the whole, when the tail is spread, forms a large ovalspot of black; the legs are black. The female differslittle from the male ; she lays six eggs, of a dull olivegreen, spotted at the end with black. This bird is rarely found in the cultivated pa
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1800, bookidhistoryo, booksubjectbirds
