THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 35 



LESSER GREY SHRIKE. -Zrm/ws minoi', Gmel. 



A BARE visitant. In 1876, a single example was 

 captured near Plymouth, by a bird catcher on the 

 23rd of September. It was taken alive to Mr. 

 Peacock, a bird-stuffer, who at once reported it to 

 Mr. Gatcombe as a Great Grey Shrike, a mistake 

 that was rectified as soon as Mr. Gatcombe saw the 

 bird. It proved to be an immature specimen, 

 lacking the black frontal band, but distinguished 

 from the young of Laniiis exciihltor by its size and 

 plain white under parts ; another distinction was 

 presented by the outer tail feather of the Lesser 

 Grey Shrike being altogether white, with only the 

 middle of its shaft black, (Zool. 1878. p. 5178). 



RED-BACKED iMYRIK^.—Lanlus coUurio, Linn. 



A SUMMER visitant, local in its choice of breedino^ 

 haunts and varying in numbers in different seasons. 

 In the North of the County, Mr. Rawson considers 

 it comparatively common, and Mr. Mitchell's 

 experience is similar, but elsewhere it is a scarce 

 bird. About Exeter, for example, it is com- 

 paratively rare, and though Mr. Gatcombe 

 met with man}^ in the neighbourhood of Plymouth, 

 those observed were chiefly young birds, preparing 

 to leave the country in August and September. 

 During its stay with us^ it feeds on a variety of 

 insects- At Teignmouth, Mr. Jordan found a tiger 

 moth impaled in a Shrike's larder, but the food is 

 not always transfixed. In August 1880, the 



