RED-BACKED SHRIKE. 53 



Chester, and there is no doul^t that such interferences, 

 consequent on the great spread of population, are the 

 main cause of its increasing rarity. 



WOODCHAT. 



Lanius pojieranus, Sparrman. 



One has been killed near Lancaster, according to the 

 MSS. of the late Eev. J. D. Banister, and Mr. F. 

 Nicholson states {Manchester City Neics, 1875, on the 

 authority of Mr. E. Entwistle of Bolton, who stuffed 

 the bird) that one was shot at Walton-le-dale in 1870. 

 These are the only records I have met with. 



FAMILY AMPELID^.— GENUS AMPELIS. 



WAXWING. 



Ampelis garrulus, Linnaeus. 



An occasional visitor in winter, sometimes appearing 

 pretty numerously, and sometimes not being seen at all 

 for several years. Many specimens were obtained in 

 the winters of 1828-29, 1849-50, 1863-64, 1866-67, 

 when large arrivals also took place all over the kingdom. 

 The whole of the Lancashire examples were taken in 

 the months of December and January. 



