Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/493

 BUTCHER BIED BUTE 487 (Baird) taking its place. The nest is built of dry grass, leaves, and moss, in the fork of a bush or low tree ; the eggs are five or six in number, of a dull cinereous blue color, spotted and streaked at the larger end with yellowish brown ; the time of incubation is 15 days. It frequents woody and bushy places, where it sits perched on a branch continually jerking its tail ; its flight is undulating and rapid ; it is most commonly seen single or in pairs, and is wary and hard to approach. It feeds on in- sects, especially grasshoppers and crickets ; but it also attacks and kills small birds, which it tears apart and swallows in large pieces ; it pitches downward like a hawk, with closed wings, on the back of its victim, which it in- stantly strikes in the head, tearing open its skull. In confinement it eats eagerly pieces of fresh beef. It has the singular propensity of impaling insects and small birds on points of twigs and thorns. It is so bold that it often enters apartments where pet birds are kept, and attempts to seize them from the cages. Butcher Bird (Lanius excubltor). It imitates the notes of other birds in distress, and when they flock around to see what is the matter, it pounces into the midst. It will pur- sue birds on the wing, and even small quad- rupeds and lizards. Audubon is of opinion that this bird is the same as the L. excubitor of Linnajus, but more recent authorities consider them distinct. The European bird, or great cinereous shrike, is rare in England; it is sometimes trained in Russia for catching small birds, rats, and mice, which, like its Amer- ican congener, it fixes to a thorn and tears to pieces with its bill ; it possesses the same pro- pensity for fixing its food in confinement, ac- cording to Selby ; it is also called butcher bird. The C. Ludovicianw (Baird) is a native of the southern states, being confined chiefly to Flori- da, Georgia, and the Carolinas. This is called the loggerhead shrike, and abounds on the rice plantations, where it does good service in de- stroying field mice, large grubs, and insects, pouncing upon them like a hawk. In all the butcher birds the legs and claws are weak, and are never used in tearing their prey ; this is effected by their powerful bill, and in this they differ from the other birds of prey, which strike and tear with their talons. BUTE, an island of Scotland, in the frith of Clyde, separated from the district of Cowall in Argyleshire by a narrow channel called the Kyles of Bute, 16 m. long and 3 to 6 m. wide; area, 60 sq. m. ; pop. about 9,500. The sur- face in the northern parts is rugged and moun- tainous ; the central and southern portions are undulating and tolerably fertile. The tempera- ture is mild and equable, and the island is much resorted to by invalids. Most of the inhabi- tants speak Gaelic, but English is daily becom- ing more prevalent. There are three small lakes, Fad, Ascog, and Quein. The town of Rothesay, once the residence of the Scottish monarchs, is pleasantly situated on the E. coast, and Mountstuart, the seat of the marquis of Bute, the chief proprietor, is near it. BUTE. I. John Stuart, third earl of, a British statesman, born in Scotland in 1713, died in London, March 10, 1792. In his 10th year he succeeded to his father's title and estates. He was educated at Eton. In 1736 he married the only daughter of Lady Mary Wortley Mon- tagu, and in February, 1737, was elected one of the 16 representative peers of Scotland. In 1738 he was appointed lord of the bedchamber to Frederick, prince of Wales, eldest son of George II. On the death of his royal patron, in March, 1751, the widowed princess of Wales gave him her confidence and friendship, and he also obtained a great influence over the youth- ful prince of Wales, who, when elevated to the throne in 1760 as George III., made him a member of the privy council, and in March, 1761, one of the secretaries of state. His wife was created a British peeress in her own right, as Baroness Mountstuart. In the following Octo- ber, William Pitt, finding his powers as nomi- nal head of the administration weakened by the vast influence of the new secretary, retired from the cabinet; and in May, 1762, when the duke of Newcastle also resigned, Lord Bute succeed- ed him as prime minister. With considerable ambition and inconsiderable abilities, Lord Bute was now in an office for which he was ill adapt- ed, and soon became unpopular. He was vig- orously attacked by John Wilkes in the " North Briton," and by Churchill the poet, who as- sailed him because he was a Scotchman. Eng- land was then involved in the seven years' war. Lord Bute made peace, but was accused, in conjunction with the princess dowager, of hav- ing been bribed to grant too favorable terms to the enemy ; and even Lord Camden, many years later, stated his conviction of the truth of the charge, as Bute's patrimonial estate was worth only 1,500 a year, and he was only life tenant of Wortley, though he invested 300,000 in land and houses. Junius also intimates corrup- tion, but without supporting his charges by evi- dence. At last, on April 7, 1763, within five