508 LANIUS COLLUllIO. 



Mr Harley, who resides in Leicester, has favoured me with 

 the following notice respecting this species. " The Red- 

 backed Shrike occasionally visits us, but is more common in 

 the counties to the westward, that is, in Shropshire, StaiFord- 

 shire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. In July 1833, as I 

 was walking alongside of an old hedge, near to Ganendon 

 Park, which was composed of maj^le, crab, hawthorn, hazel, 

 and stunted ash, I heard a sparrow-like note, which to me was 

 somewhat new. This note I found proceeded from the Red- 

 backed Shrike, who was beset with a few pairs of Titmice, 

 Parus coeruleus and Parus ater ; and a pretty loud scolding 

 noise they were making. I could not discover that any bird, 

 mouse, or beetle had been impaled by it, although I spent a 

 long time in attempting to observe, if possible, that habit. 

 The pugnacity of the Titmice is as strongly manifested against 

 the Cuckoo, the Windhover, and the Owl, should the latter be 

 abroad in the day-time, as it was in this instance against the 

 Shrike. When we are desirous of seeing this species, we must 

 wait until May comes in, and we must not then repair to the 

 extensive wood, the leafy dell, the cultivated upland, or the 

 barren down ; but traverse the borders of the grassy mead, 

 where the cowslip and saxifrage vie w^itli the buttercup and 

 ladysmock ; 



' In days when daisies deck the ground, 

 And blackbirds whistle clear.' 



Yes, there and then we shall meet with this bold black-eyed 

 bird. 'Tis now the 20th of May ; the oak and ash have not yet 

 unfolded their leaves ; but the fine bright foliage and delicate- 

 ly tinted blossoms of the crab rival in beauty those of the fan- 

 tastic maple and nodding beech. The hawthorn too is putting 

 forth its pink-eyed florets, which will soon enamel every 

 hedge, and regale the sense. Here too beneath that over- 

 hanging spray of woodbine we perceive the Scilla nutans, 

 drooping its modest head, and the cowled Arum in its green 

 pavilion, keeping watch like a sentinel over the flowers around. 

 The wood-pigeon cooes beside his mate on yon lofty beech ; the 

 wryneck with his shrill pee-pee is heard from the pollard ash ; 



