of the Common Shrike, 371 



wonderful facility ; but his observations seem to have been 

 chiefly made upon caged individuals. 



He also says, of the common species, " If a room is to be 

 cleared of flies, one of these birds set at liberty in it will soon 

 effect it : it catches them flying with great skill and agility. 

 When a thorny branch is given it, it impales all its flies, 

 making at the same time the drollest and most singular move- 

 ments. This species easily and quickly learns to whistle airs, 

 but it forgets them with the same facility, in order to learn 

 new ones." If, therefore, in a wild state, the various shrikes 

 do really thus imitate the notes of other birds, for what pur- 

 pose in the economy of nature can this faculty have been be- 

 stowed upon them ? Observation alone can decide. 



Mr. Selby also says of the large species (L. excubitor), that 

 " its voice is capable of variation, and it possesses a power 

 of imitating the notes of many of the smaller Passeres ; in 

 which respect it shows an approach to the mocking thrushes," 

 (O'rpheus) " of the family Merulidae." The same gentleman 

 observes of the L. Cbllurio, that " the notes of this species 

 are varied, and its song is pleasing." 



The common shrike is universally known to the peasantry 

 of Kent and Surrey and some of the adjoining counties by 

 the homely appellation of " Jack Baker." 



Tooting^ Surrey, June 3. 1835. 



[In p. 413. of the present Number is some additional in- 

 mation on the red-backed shrike. " Observations on the 

 British species of shrikes, their habits, nidification, &c. ; by 

 J. D. Hoy, Esq. ; " are in IV. 341—344., VII. 53. A men- 

 tion of the occurrence of a pair of the Lanius excubitor in 

 Tynemouth, Northumberland, and a few facts on them, are 

 in V. 569. " There was a great quantity of the elytra of 

 beetles scattered on the ground near the place which they 

 seemed chiefly to haunt." In Oct. 1833, two or three of L. 

 excubitor were repeatedly seen in the immediate vicinity of 

 Carlisle. One of them procured on Oct. 29., dissected, proved 

 a male, " and had all the appearance of being an old bird, 

 notwithstanding the breast and under parts were marked with 

 numerous fine dusky curved lines, which are stated by almost 

 all writers to be peculiar to the female. The stomach of this 

 specimen was completely distended with coleopterous insects : 

 amongst others, we were able to recognise with certainty spe- 

 cimens of Helobia brevicollis, Agonum parumpunctatum, 

 Pcecilus cupreus, &c. &c." {Phil. Mag. and Annals of Phil., 

 third series, vol. iv. p. 337.)] 



