36 THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 



Editor spent many minutes one afternoon in 

 watching a brood of young Shrikes feeding greedily 

 on the caterpillars of a butterfly {Vanessa), which 

 they picked off from their food plant, the nettle, 

 and bolted whole. 



WOODCHAT. — Lanius iiomeranvs, Sparrmau 



A RAEE visitant. Bellamy in 1839, included this 

 Shrike in his catalogue of the Birds of South Devon, 

 on the strength of an example " shot at Mutley by 

 Pincombe of Devonport," (Nat. Hist, of Devon p. 

 200). Mr. Prideaux recorded an immature bird, as 

 obtained at Kingsbridge, prior to 1852, (Zool. 1852_ 

 p. 3474). Mr. Gatcombe purchased a female 

 Woodchat, captured near Plymouth, in October 

 1866, by a birdcatcher, the Shrike having dashed 

 down at one of his call-birds, (Zool. 1867 p. 557). 

 It was kept alive on raw liver for some days, and 

 eventually entered the collection of Mr. J. H. Gurney, 

 from whom I have been able to gather that the 

 bird was in active moult when caught, and a very 

 light-coloured specimen. 



Family Ampelid^. 

 WAXWING. — Ampelis garrulus, Liuu. 



A RARE winter visitant, a few specimens have 

 occurred at long intervals, but the large flocks some- 

 times recorded in Eastern Britain, have never left 

 any mark on Devon, which seems to lie too far west 

 to be much favoured by this erratic species. 



