THE PERCHING BIRDS. 



163 



. With us every winter, a few Great Grey Shrikes have 

 stayed the summer, but not to breed. In Ireland the 

 t Great Grey species is very rare, and it aj^pears not to 

 Shrike. have reached the Hebrides. The shrikes are, 

 as a group, easily distinguished by the hooked bill, their 

 neighbourhood being betrayed by the small birds, frogs, 

 lizards, and chafers spiked on the thorns near their 

 favourite feeding - perch. The present species has an 

 inconspicuous white line over the eye and two white 

 bars on the wings, besides which the white of the under- 

 parts is purer than in the rest. 



tPaUas's ^ race, distinguished by having but one 

 Shrike. ^^^ ^^ t^® wings. 



Lesser Grey Shrike. — A rare straggler from Central 

 Europe, which has reached these islands but four times. 



The Red-backed Shrike is common from May to August 



south of the Thames, but increasingly rare farther north 



__ , and in Ireland. A smaller bird than the rest, 



*Ilea- ...... ' 



backed it IS distinguished, apart from the fact that 

 Shrike. \^ ^g ^j^g Q^^\y gi^rike known to breed in these 

 islands, by its 

 red-and-grey plum- 

 age. A nearly 

 white variety from 

 Essex was recent- 

 ly recorded in 

 the 'Field.' It 

 has the family hab- 

 it of impaling its 

 victims on thorns ; 

 but, singularly 

 enough, though I 

 have watched them 

 by the hour in my garden at Bexley, where they used to 

 arrive late in May, and through strong glasses, I never 



