LAN II D.I':. 



145 



THE WOODCHAT. 



Lanius pomer.anus, Sparrman. 



Although a common species durhig the breeding-season on the 

 opposite shores of the Continent, the Woodchat Shrike only crosses 

 the narrow seas at irregular intervals, and not more than thirty 

 examples are known to have been obtained in England during 

 the last hundred years. The majority of these have been noticed 

 in the southern and eastern districts, and generally at the time of 

 migration ; but there is evidence that the bird has nested twice 

 near Freshwater in the Isle of Wight, and westward, it has been 

 known to occur as far as Cornwall. Northward, it lias been identi- 

 fied on rare occasions up to Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumberland 

 and Northumberland ; but there is no proof that it has visited 

 Scotland or Ireland. 



On the Continent the Woodchat breeds as far to the north-east 

 as the line of the Baltic and the valley of the Vistula, beyond 

 which it is of accidental occurrence ; while southward it is generally 

 distributed throughout Europe, and in the countries bordering on 

 the Mediterranean is very abundant. Even there, however, it is 



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