me have
asserted that it spits the spiders and other insects for the purpose of
attracting nearer the small birds upon which it preys; but this cannot
be true, for it preys mostly upon birds that are not insect-eaters, as
the finches: besides, it is itself as fond of eating grasshoppers as
anything else, and consumes large quantities of these insects.

The most probable explanation of the singular and apparently cruel habit
of the butcher-bird is, that it merely places its victims upon the
thorns, in order to keep them safe from ground-ants, rats, mice,
raccoons, foxes, and other preying creatures--just as a good cook would
hang up her meat or game in the larder to prevent the cats from carrying
it off. The thorny tree thus becomes the storehouse of the shrike, where
he hangs up his superfluous spoil for future use, just as the crows,
magpies and jays, make their secret deposits in chinks of walls and the
hollows of trees. It is no argument against this theory, that the
shrike sometimes leaves these stores without returning to them. The fox,
and dog, as well as many other preying creatures have the same habit.

Wondering at what they had seen, the voyageurs returned to their camp,
and once more embarked on their journey.

CHAPTER XX.

THE FISH-HAWK.

A few days after, another incident occurred to our voyageurs, which
illustrated the habits of a very interesting bird, the "osprey," or
fish-hawk, as it is more familiarly known in America.

The osprey is a bird of the falcon tribe, and one of the largest of the
genus--measuring two feet from bill to tail, with an immense spread of
wing in proportion, being nearly six feet from tip to tip. It is of a
dark brown colour above, that colour peculiar to most of the hawk tribe,
while its lower parts are ashy white. Its legs and bill are blue, and
its eyes of a yellow orange. It is found in nearly all parts of America,
where there are waters containing fish, for on these it exclusively
feeds. It is more common on the sea-coast than in the interior, although
it also frequents the large lakes, and lives in the central parts of the
continent during summer, when these are no longer frozen over. It is not
often seen upon muddy rivers, as there it would stand no chance of
espying its victims in the water. It is a migratory bird, seeking the
South in winter, and especially the shores of the Great Mexican Gulf,
where large numbers are often seen fishing together.

In the s