Letters, Extracts from Con'espondence, Announcements, ^c. 331 



what I believe to be the Ash-coloured Shrike {Lanius ex- 

 cubitor). I was staying at Hayling Island, on the coast of 

 Hampshire, at the time, and was out naturalizing, when I saw 

 the nest taken out of a large, thick, scrubby hedgerow, consist- 

 ing principally of brambles and blackthorn. It was found by 

 some boys belonging to the Coast-guard Station ; and they 

 described the old birds, one of which was on the nest at the 

 time, as like very large Wheatears. One of the boys had seen 

 the birds near the same place about ten days before, and had 

 found the nest, which he was obliged to pull down in order to 

 see if there were any eggs in it ; it was, however, not quite 

 finished, and he believed this to be the second nest of the same 

 birds. I mentioned the above circumstances to Mr. Hardy, the 

 Rector of the island, who is a thorough naturalist, and he con- 

 firmed me in my belief by telling me that for several years he 

 had observed a pair of Ash-coloured Shrikes in his grounds, 

 that they frequented some railings in front of his window, 

 and that he took great interest in their habits, and had twice 

 obtained their nests and eggs. The railings had been removed 

 a year or two ago, and he had not seen them since. He also 

 told me that he thought there were generally two pairs of these 

 birds in the island, and mentioned the exact haunts of the 

 others. He is well acquainted with the Red-backed Shrike, 

 which is not rare there, and said he was not likely to confound 

 them together. 



On getting home I compared the eggs which I had from the 

 boys with the Shrikes' eggs in my cabinet, and they are decidedly- 

 larger than any of those of the Red-backed which I possess. I 

 had my glass with me when I met the boys, and tried hard to 

 detect the birds, but without success ; and as I soon afterwards 

 had to leave the island, I was prevented from going to the 

 second locality. If I am able, however, I shall hope another 

 year to obtain some further facts on this subject. 



Yours, &c., 



William Henry Hawker. 

 Green Hook, Horndeati, Hants, 

 June I6th, 1859. 



