ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--This species has no particular song: the female has none at all; but the male imitates, with wonderful facility, the songs of other birds, not only the detached parts, but the whole notes, so correctly that it would not be difficult to mistake it. Thus it imitates exactly, and in order, all the variations of the song of the nightingale, though more feebly, and like an echo, its notes not being so full and clear: it imitates equally well the song of the lark, and similar birds. This wonderful power of imitation cannot fail to please amateurs, and make them wish to possess this interesting bird. I have observed that it likes best to repeat the call of the quail. One of this species which I had among my collection, always stopped its song, however lively, when it heard that of the quail, for the purpose of imitating it; the latter, before it was accustomed to this, became very jealous, and as soon as it heard it, ran about in every direction, furiously endeavouring to fight its fancied rival. THE WOODCHAT. Lanius erythrocephalus. Lan. Collurio, rufus, et pomeranus, LINNÆUS; La Pie Grièche rousse, BUFFON; Der rothköpfige Würger, BECHSTEIN. This is smaller and more delicate than the former species, being only seven inches long, of which the tail measures three and a half; the folding wings cover one third; the beak is eight lines in length, and black; the iris greyish yellow; the shanks bluish black; the forehead black, from the base of which a band of the same colour extends over the eyes. The tail feathers are also black, but the outer ones only so to the middle, the rest being white. The female only differs from the male in its colour being less brilliant. HABITATION.--When wild it is a bird of passage, arriving at the end of April, and departing about the middle of September[17]. It inhabits mountains, forests, and wooded plains, but prefers enclosed pastures where horses are kept day and night. In confinement it requires the same treatment as the preceding. FOOD.--In its wild state it prefers beetles, the dung of cows and horses, maybugs, grasshoppers, breeze-flies, and other insects; it often also darts upon lizards and young quails. In a state of confinement it is fed like the preceding; but being more delicate it is better to rear it from the nest, feeding it on raw meat. If an old bird be taken, it is impossible to preserve it unless it be constantly fed on live insects.