Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-02-11
THE BUTCHER BIRD.
Ne KILLS FOR PLEASURE AND PUTS
HIS VICTIMS OUT TO DRY.

No bird native to this country is so
little known and surely none has such
striking habits Of life ns the shrikc. or
butcher bird. He is o mcmbcr Of o fam.
lily complying soma goo species, N
which only one woll defined subiamiIy
Is resident in North America Bold,
daring. handsome, ho Is at once tho
brnggart and the beau Of tho woods AZ
q little distance o southorncr would
readily mistake him for tho mochng
bird
His BLUSH gray plumhgo, tail TIPPED
with white and broad black patch noruss
each eye give him o trim, jnuuty Dir
quito pleasing TO the eye, hut alas, %
dreaded object TO smaller and wDnkDr
birds His habitat Is northern North
America and though ho breeds In tho
high ground Of New England and Now
York hO grows moro common after Tho
Canadian limo e. crossed.
The shriio IS % born tyrnnt Not c0n'
tent with killing and dovouring all In
scots largo enough 20 attract his fancy
he attacks snakes, molc7, mice and small
hirda whenever opportunity oncra His
disposition is o. unluyahlu at homo ~
abroad. for seldom arc two or moroscOn
together but they arc engaged in an ug.
ly family quarrel ThCy are truly car.
nivorous. and oxcopt for certain weak.
nossos of bono and muscle would rank
as true birds Of prey.
ThOre 60 one strange uucanny char
nctonstic. however, which separates this
woodland bully from all known birds
Nnturalists have watched it, studied ",
pondcrod over IL and written long pages
Of inoxplioablo explanations Of IL, and
common people havo doubted In thoir
superstition or ignorance whether TWAS
tho doing Of o bird or q demon In bird
form. Today It remains nl deep mys.
tory as IL was 100 years ago.
This is tho puzzlo' Tho butcher bird
IN his rioious love Of killing Stays many
moro victims than no has any possible
uso Tor. lie seems TO do it for the nero
fun Of tho thing Instead Of leaving tho
dead, however, no carries them ono by
one % some thorny hedge or troo and
there impalcs them IN all sorts Of fan.
tnstic positions in tho branches II Rivos
one rtlIt 20 como out Of piece u
woods when CANNING and SEQ morn
tree laden with o CHASTITY crop Of To-
Gusts, tulds, gpnrows, grass snakes, l.z'
ards and ohipmunks
II tho fhrikc ever returned 20 feed
upon his grim hoard, thoro would bean
explanation Of Dis conduct aud he would
DO credited with tho opicurUan tasto Of
a thoroughbred vulturu who likes things
"a bic gmy" But such Is not tho
case Tho Wg.gd fruit hangs for days
upon tho llmb, and n hawks or crows
do not lud and steal 10 Il will rot until
only f1w tiny white skeletons remain
70 tell OF tho massacre
Comparatively fcw dwollcra in tho
backwoods know this occontricity Of tho
butcher bird. and hence arise many Gu.
rious and apparently well nuthontioat-
ed stories OF trees that catch birds In
their branches and Of storms that rain.
ed down toads and lizards. so that tho
trees were full Of them.
The butcher bird Is q born thief "a
well as murdoror and often moots his
death whilc hopclossly cndoavoring TO
kill and carry on tamo pct bird from
a cage on 60 rob hunters cabin of
fresh meat Any tidbit no finds no will
steal, oven II only TO suspend IL from q
locust bough hard by. Tho Canadian
fur traders and trappors despiso him
heartily and ucvor lose chance to kin
him Thohalf breeds call him whisky
Joo" aud claim no Is halt drunk all
tho time, and hence does these foolish
things
Ho will spy out the most carefully
hidden trap and always manage 20 pur.
loin the bait without being caught Tho
wild country north Of the great lakes Is
n fayorite haunt OF these butchers, and
tho Indians who hunt and soil furs 10
the Hudson Bay company complain Bit
terly of the doprodations Of Whisky
Joe
The shriko buildl a bulky. somewhat
elaborate nest Of heavy STICKS below,
and upon this foundation warm cover
ing Of bark, leaves and grass Is laid II
Is usually In some low tree, aud tho
eggs, which Hro somewhat smaller than
pigeons. are decidedly pretty. They
are Of a grayish green notified, spcckod
and scratched with reddish brown The
young nostlings begin thoir education
by wraugling and fighting as soon %,
Matched, IN which gmi1blc diversion
thor fond parents rot them striking nnd
perpetual examples. Now York World,