ches of the tree were covered with long thorny spikes that pointed
in every direction; but one branch in particular occupied their
attention. Upon this there were about a dozen of these spines pointing
upward, and upon each spike _was impaled a ruby-throat_! The little
creatures were dead, of course, but they were neither torn nor even much
ruffled in their plumage. They were all placed back upwards, and as
neatly spitted upon the thorns as if they had been put there by human
hands. On looking more closely, it was discovered that other creatures,
as well as the humming-birds, had been served in a similar manner.
Several grasshoppers, spiders, and some coleopterous insects were found,
and upon another branch two small meadow-mice (_Arvicolae_) had been
treated to the same terrible death!

To Basil, Norman, and Francois, the thing was quite inexplicable, but
Lucien understood well enough what it meant. All these creatures, he
informed them, were placed there by the bird which Francois had shot,
and which was no other than the "shrike" (_Lanius_) or "butcher-bird"--a
name by which it is more familiarly known, and which it receives from
the very habit they had just observed. Why it follows such a practice
Lucien could not tell, as naturalists are not agreed upon this point.
Some 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 see