VOL. VI.] NOTES. 21^ 



of the Waveney near Beccles. This is, I believe, the first 

 recorded occurrence of what is probably an overlooked bird 

 in Norfolk. 



I also wish to record that I found an example of this bird 

 in an old collection in Yarmouth lately. It had been obtained 

 in 1844 in the neighbourhood of Somersham. There seem 

 to be no previous records from Huntingdonshire. 



C. B. TiCEHURST. 



[I have in my collection a female Willow -Tit obtained 

 at Loddon, Norfolk, in January, 1893, by my friend Capt. 

 A. E. Hamerton, who gave it to me about two years ago, 

 but I have omitted to record it. — H. F. Witherby.] 



GREAT GREY SHRIKE IN RUTLAND. 



As the Great Grey Shrike {Lanius excubitor) is very rarely 

 seen in Rutland, I may record that I saw one between Braun- 

 ston and Oakham in November, 1911. I observed the bird 

 first on November 14th, and four times subsequently in^the 

 ensuing fortnight. Each time it perched in most conspicuous 

 positions, and it was always very bold. 



K. Hughes-Onslow. 



RED-BACKED SHRIKE'S METHOD OF DEALING 

 WITH ITS PREY. 



While staying in a district of Suffolk last summer in which 

 Red-backed Shrikes (Lanius c. coUurio) were very numerous, 

 I observed a male bird carrying a half-gro^\■n Sky-Lark, 

 Avhich it clasped in its talons after the manner of a hawk, 

 conveying its victim apparently with ease for fully two hundred 

 yards before depositing it upon the ground, one of the parent 

 Larks being in hot pursuit. 



The fledgling upon examination Avas found to be headless, 

 having evidently been decapitated immediately after seizure, 

 as I could discover no trace of the head at the spot where 

 the Shrike alighted. It seems reasonable to assume that 

 the Lark was beheaded at the nest, in order that its struggles 

 might cease and transportation thus be effected without 

 difficulty. Howard Bentham. 



[The fact that the fledgling Sky-Lark was picked up 

 headless does not prove that it was decapitated at the nest 

 in order to facilitate transportation, for it is usual for the 

 Shrikes to begin their meal by tearing off and swallowing 

 the head of a young bird, so that naturally no trace would 

 be found of it. The same habit may frequently be observed 

 in the case of the Accipitres. — F.C.R.J.] 



