SHRIKES 3 1 



bird (as they still do) to give notice of the approach 

 of a hawk, which they then captured by means of 

 a bow-net and a decoy pigeon. The circumstance 

 is noted in the journal of his tour in Dalecarlia, 

 1734, the original MS. of which is preserved in 

 the library of the Linnean Society. 



Although an autumn and winter visitant, the 

 Grey Shrike has been very rarely seen in England 

 in summer (Ibis, 1859, p. 330). Amongst the 

 Grey Shrikes which are found here in winter, some 

 have the basal half of the primaries white, giving 

 the appearance of a single white bar across the 

 wing when closed ; in others, the bases of the 

 secondaries are also white, causing the closed wing 

 to appear double-barred. The latter form is the 

 typical excuhitor ; the former is Lanius major of 

 Pallas, a more eastern race. Both forms meet in 

 Scandinavia, where they interbreed, as shown by 

 Prof. Collett, who states {Ihis, 1886, pp. 30-40) that 

 both forms have been found in the same brood, and 

 that intermediate forms have also been met with. 



In regard to its singing powers, see Kerry, 

 Zool., 1880, p. 70; as to migration, nesting, and 

 habits in confinement, see Macpherson, Zool., 1891, 

 pp. 96-100. 



RED-BACKED SHRIKE. Lanius collurio, Linnaeus. 

 PL 5, figs. 8, 9, 9a. Length, 7 in.; wing, 3 -5 in.; 

 tarsus, 1 in. 



A summer migrant, most numerous in the south 

 of England ; rare in Scotland, occasionally nesting in 



