GREAT GREY SHRIKE. 41 



probably most of the visitors to Britain emanate,, and it is 

 certain that although examples of the typical form have 

 occurred on several occasions in Oxon, yet birds presenting 

 characters intermediate between the two are more frequently 

 met with. I have not yet seen an example of the true 

 Pallas' Shrike obtained in the county, but a satisfactory 

 examination in this respect of birds presei'ved in glass cases is 

 impossible. 



Grey Shrikes have been observed or procured during the last 

 ten years on the following occasions :— 



One shot at Banbury, 29th November, 1880, was seen on 

 the previous day, when it dropped a Water Shrew. Another 

 procured in the same locality rather earlier in the year. One 

 shot at Chorton near Islip in January, 1884 (G. Arnatt in lit.). 

 One seen by the canal near Bodicote, loth February, 1884. 

 One shot at Tackley, near Woodstock, November, 1884 (W. C. 

 Darbey in lit.). One shot near Williamseote on the borders 

 of the county, 26th December, 1884. One shot on the borders 

 near Wardington, 26th February, 1885. Two seen by myself 

 in the vicinity of the canal above Banbury, 7th April, 1885, 

 One shot at Drayton near Dorchester, 13th November, 1888 

 (W. Newton, jun,, in lit.y. Three of these, with another, one 

 of two procured at Hook Norton some years ago, are in my 

 brothers' and my own collection, and only one is of the typical 

 form. Lord Lilford has an example shot at Garsington in 

 1853. All these spechnens, it will be observed, were procured 

 or observed during the period between November and spring, 

 but the Messrs. Matthews, while recording the occurrence of 

 three specimens in their own neighbourhood, and of several 

 more in other parts of the county in winter, mention one 

 procured on the 5th August, 1810. This statement might 



^ At Kingham, on the 15th January, 18S9, Mr. E. D. Lockwood saw a Grey 

 Shrike fly up into a tree with a small bird or mouse in its claws. Here it 

 proceeded to hammer its prey, accompanying each blow with a jerk of its long 

 tail. This bird remained in the vicinity for some weeks, and was observed by 

 Mr. Fowler, a month later, in the meadow below his house (W. W. F. in lit.). 



