EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 221 



exception of a twig or two, a piece of flag-like rush, and a little 

 wool at the foundation, was composed of downy-leaved cudweeds 

 (Gnaphalium dioicum), some in flower and some in seed, and most 

 pulled up by the roots. 



The eggs vary in number from four to seven. Some are very 

 round, measuring 0"95 by 0'8 inch ; others are much longer and 

 more pointed, viz., T05 by 0'7 inch. The average size and 

 shape lies between these extremes. The ground-colour is a 

 pale bluish-green. Some eggs have a few small greenish - brown 

 spots, chiefly towards the larger end. Typical eggs have also 

 larger spots or blotches ; whilst in examples which are exception- 

 ally rich in their markings the spots round the egg towards the 

 large end are confluent, but do not assume the form of a uniform 

 band round the egg, because the underlying spots, which in all 

 the varieties are paler and greener than the overlying spots, are 

 distinctly visible amongst the others. The eggs of this bird may 

 easily be distinguished from those of the Great Grey Shrike by 

 their smaller size and much greener colour. From the largest and 

 greenest varieties of the eggs of the Woodchat it is not quite so 

 easy to separate them ; but the latter are very seldom, if ever, 

 quite so large or quite so green. It is not known that rufous 

 varieties of the eggs of the Lesser Grey Shrike ever occur. 



THE KED- BACKED SHEIKE. 



{Lanius collurio.) 

 Plate 54, Figs. 10, 11. 



The Red-backed Shrike is by far the commonest Shrike met 

 with in the British Islands. It is a summer visitor to the whole 

 of the continent of Europe up to lat 64°, with the exception of the 

 Spanish Peninsula, where it is only an occasional straggler to the 

 north-east. 



The nest is a bulky one, large for the size of the bird, and made 

 of dry stems of plants, dead grass, rootlets, and moss, and lined 

 with horse-hair and sometimes a little wool. 



The eggs are from four to six in number, and are subject to 

 such considerable variation that it would almost be impossible to 

 describe each in turn. For the sake of convenience, they may be 

 divided into four very distinct types. The first is pale green in 



