124 Bird-Lore
It made no attempt at flight, but hurried met the ground in a series of fluttering runs and leaps, dodging and turning with great skill whenever nel'essaty to escape capture, ()n the first occasion. July It, I was not astonished that the young Shrike in its fright forgot its newly acquired habit of locomotion; hut on August 4,. by pursuing the same tacti s, I was able to hold one of them in my hand again, though at that time the \nung could not be distinguished from the adult birds when in flight. During the month in \VlIlClI the family were under observation they remained within half a mile of the nesting plac finally. however. almost forsaking it, save at night, in favor of another hrushrheap about a fourth
yumt: I.I)L.t;IIKHEi-\l) strand,
of a mile to the south. Over the intervening fields of waving corn and grassy meadow they reigned supreme: and the grasshopper families within those limits must have been woefully decimated. for such rapacious birds Were never before under my ohservation.
Their usual cry was harsh and unmusical: but the song, though short and broken. was soft and sweet and well worth hearing. ()ne of the call~ notes “as a short whistle. very human in its tone, and really musical. \Vhen in play with each other among the hranehes. I often heard them give utterance to a mewing note, remarkahh like that of the Cathird.
My last \'i~it to these most interesting hinls was on August 8. and on August [0 they were gone. All search for them this summer has been unavailing. and I haw reluctantly come to the conclusion that their appear- ann- in this neighborhood “as an IIL
Meat. and not to be repeated
