THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND. 27 



food, he always hung it, whether given him ahve 

 or dead, before holding his post-mortem upon it." 



Writing in 1829, in the Philosophical Magazine, 

 Mr. T. C. Hey sham observes — " For the last five 

 or six years the Cinereous Shrike has visited this 

 neighbourhood (Carlisle) pretty regularly, scarcely a 

 winter passing without one or more having been 

 either seen or obtained." 



Again, in 1832, he writes of "the Greater 

 Butcher Bird or Cinereous Shrike (Lanius excuhitor) : 

 During the months of November and December 

 (1831), three of these birds were obtained in this 

 vicinity. A female, killed on the 24th of November, 

 had been feeding greedily on the larvae of Scotophila 

 purpurea and Amarta myrtilli, several of which had 

 been swallowed entire, and with little or no injury. 

 The stomach also contained a very fine specimen of 

 Carabus hortensis, two or three of Phosphuga atrata, 

 and the elytra of several species of Agonum." 



L. Collurio. Bed-backed Shrike. 



The Bed-backed Shrike is a scarce summer 

 visitant, a few pairs breeding annually in the lake 

 district. In the north of the county it only occurs 

 irregularly. Mr. Tom Duckworth found a nest 

 some years ago, near Newby Cross, and we have 

 seen the thorns festooned with insects, in other 

 seasons. 



A pair nested near Carlisle in 1883, and another 

 pair were observed near Gilsland. In August, 1885, 

 we observed an immature specimen being vigorously 

 mobbed by some small birds. 



