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CHAPTER III. 
PERCHING BIRDS. 
N our thickly-wooded and well-cultivated district the 
birds of this order are pretty numerous, and at least 
two-thirds of the British species have come under my 
notice. Of some of these, which are plentiful enough in 
other localities, the occurrence of a single specimen 
is all I have been able to chronicle, while others of 
greater general rarity have been frequent, and, in addi- 
tion to the pleasure I have derived from a quiet acquain- 
tance with their habits, I have been fortunate enough to 
record a few interesting facts respecting them. 
The former part of this remark applies to the first 
species in the order—the Great grey Shrike (Lanius 
excubitor)—a single male bird being the only one I 
have met with here; this was perched on a hedge in 
Thoresby Park, from which it flew on my approach. I 
am aware of one or two specimens having been seen by 
others, and I have seen one that was shot in Nottingham 
Forest—a male in fine plumage—but it is here only a 
straggler. Its congener, the Red-backed Shrike (L. col- 
lwrio) is, on the contrary, a regular visitor, and I have 
repeatedly observed it on the hedges bordering planta- 
tions, which appear to be a favourite place of resort. 
In these hedges its nest is usually placed, and they offer 
