124 THE GREAT GREY SHRIKE. 



very shy aud wary, and appeared to have a liking for perch- 

 ing on the topmost twigs of the hedges. Mr. Kelly records 

 that Mr. Tilly, Lauder, succeeded in shooting a beautiful 

 specimen of this unusual visitant, which was in company 

 with a Magpie, late in October 1872, on the estate of Allan- 

 bank, near Lauder. He adds that Mr. Tilly could not 

 understand what was the matter with all the little birds, as 

 they were flying about in a strange manner and making a 

 loud outcry ; but on advancing he saw a Butcher Bird dash 

 away, and, after a number of jerks and doublings among the 

 trees, it fairly gave its persecutors the slip.^ A male Butcher 

 Bird was shot at Lochton in the parish of Eccles in the end 

 of December 1875." In November 1876, a Shrike of this 

 kind was found dead in a garden at Duns, and another was 

 seen at the same time, about a mile further south.^ A male 

 was shot near Swinton on the 5th of April 1878 ;* and Dr. 

 Stuart mentions that while his son was driving to Green- 

 burn on the 13th of February 1881, when near Auchencrow 

 Mains, he observed a peculiar bird on one of the hedge- 

 row trees, which sat until he satisfied himself that it was a 

 Great Grey Shrike.^ An example of this species was found 

 dead at Fans, in the parish of Earlston, on the 20th of 

 November 1881;^ and another was killed at Gordon, on the 

 6th of February 1883.^ 



It feeds on small birds, mice, frogs, and large insects, 

 and, after killing its prey, often fixes the body in a forked 

 branch, or on a sharp thorn. From tliis habit it has 

 derived the name of Butcher Bird. My friend, Mr. A. P. 

 Hope of Sunwick, lately presented me with a fine specimen 

 which he had shot at Fentonbarns, East-Lothian, about 



1 Hist. Ber. Nat. Club, vol. vii. p. 303. 2 Ibid. vol. vii. p. 500. 



3 Ibid. vol. viii. p. 196. * Ibid. vol. viii. p. 524. 



5 Ibid. vol. ix. p. 405. '^ Ibid. vol. ix. p. 562. 



7 Ibid. vol. X. p. 572. 



