1885-86.] Edinburgh Naturalists' Field Club. 289 



overlooked — especially iu the season of the dense summer foliage 

 — I feel that a more thorough investigation than that vv^hich has 

 been made would be requisite, in order to obtain an approximately 

 complete list of the birds of the district. That it has often been 

 the temporary abode of many a vara avis in Scotland is very prob- 

 able, as, from the numerous sheltered nooks and hollows which it 

 contains, and the inducements which are offered by the protection 

 and food-products of an abundance of trees dispersed over its sur- 

 face, it presents a very tempting halting-place, or even temporary 

 residence, for a wayfaring bird. Of those to be noticed, the rarer, 

 and therefore the more interesting, only have been selected about 

 which to offer the few following remarks, which latter are mainly 

 the result of observations made during the sojourn of the several 

 species in the district. 



The Grey Shrike {Lanius excubitor) may be first mentioned. 

 Possessed of qualities which entitle it to rank among predatory 

 birds (which by common consent take precedence in classification), 

 its occurrence is deserving of something better than the slight 

 notice afforded by the limits of a short paper like this. It has only 

 come under my own observation once, though of late years it seems 

 to have visited the country not unfrequently. My attention was 

 drawn to the individual example indicated, by the noisy alarm 

 wliich its presence created among a large number of small birds, 

 chiefly Chaffinches, who seemed to dread it as much as they would 

 a Sparrow-hawk (Accipiter nisiis). It was perched on the top of a 

 tall tree, from which, darting forth, it came into close proximity 

 with a passing Chaffinch, and at once gave chase, pursuing it 

 eagerly for a considerable distance — happily, however, without suc- 

 cess. Eesuming the line of flight from which it had deviated, it 

 came sufficiently near to admit of no dubiety as to its identification. 

 Its flight is rapid ; quick beats of the wings are repeated continu- 

 ously until a considerable space is covered, when a short intermis- 

 sion is made, which, combined with the succeeding stroke, produces 

 a slightly zigzag movement. Proceeding onwards, the Shrike 

 made a long downward swoop in the direction of a group of large 

 trees, and was lost to view. This occurred in February 1883. 

 Three specimens were shot at Biggar, about eight miles distant, in 

 October and November 1882. Two of these which I dissected had 

 the fur and bones of mice in their stomachs, and the third one had 

 just been making a meal of one of these quadrupeds, when it was 

 shot. The mouse was twisted round a spiked twig of a hawthorn 

 tree, and fixed so securely as to preclude entirely its removal, save 

 by the process of pulling it in pieces. 



The Pied Flycatcher [Muscicapa cdricapiUa) next claims our 

 attention. Like many others of our rarer visitants, it would seem 

 recently to have appeared in greater numbers in Scotland, as is 



