48 



British Birds. 



comes over in such large hordes as the Gold-Crest, althou,t;h I noticed it as a 

 mii^rant on Helit;()Uind in Jarj^er numbers than the last-named bird. The golden- 

 orange crown, richer in colour than that of the ordinar}- Gold-Crest, with the black 

 band on each side of the crown, and the conspicuous white eyebrow, distinguish 

 the Fire-Crest from the Gold-Crest at a glance. The habits and mode of nesting 

 are similar in the two species. The eggs, from five to ten in number, are more 

 rufous than those of the Gold-Crest and are almost chocolate in colour, either 

 sprinkled with reddish dots or with a ring of the latter round the larger end of the 



The Ruby-Crest [Regulus calendula) oi North America has been supposed to 

 have occurred in Scotland ; a specimen from Loch Lomond, said to have been 

 shot by Dr. Dewar, in 1S52, being in the British Museum. 



This is a wide-spread family of birds, and is represented even 

 THh SHRIKES. ,,-, ^ugtr^^iif^ ij^t ^ot in South America. The members of the familv 



Family 

 LANIIDJE. 



which occur within British limits are all true Laiiiithi. and do not 



belong to the aberrant groups which are found in tropical countries. 



The Lesser Grey Shrike {Lanius ininor). This species visits Central and 



Southern Europe in summer, extending to Persia and Central Asia and wintering in 



Africa. It is one of the ' Grey' section of the genus Lanius, and can be recognised 



at any age by its short first primary- 

 (luill. The adult birds have a broad 

 black band on the forehead, and a beautiful 

 rosy blush over the breast. The species 

 has occurred at least four times in 

 England, as an occasional visitor both in 

 autumn and spring. Its food consists 

 principallv of insects, which it is said to 

 impale on thorns after the manner of its 

 kind, but, according to Seebohm, it will also 

 devour fruit in the shape of figs, cherries, 

 and mulberries. The nest is a rough 

 structure of moss and twigs, lined with 

 wool, and the eggs, from four to seven in 

 number are white, or greenish-white, with 

 markings of brown and purplish-grey. 

 The Great Grey Shrike [Lauiiis excubitor). This large species is a regular 

 winter visitor to Great Britain, and comes to us from vScandinavia, where the bird is 

 a summer \'isitor only. In Central Europe it is a resident species. 



This species, like the ne.\t, is told from the other British Butcher-birds by its 

 large size and gre\' colouring above, with the base of the forehead and a small 

 eyebrow white, contrasting with the black lores and ear-co\erts ; the wings and tail 



Thi; Lesser Gkev Shkike. 



