LANIIDM— SHRIKES. 103 



small boy myself at the time, and did not hear of the occurrence till many years 

 afterwards. But it was well known to all my wife's family at the time, and I have 

 heard it constantly spoken of by them ever since. They never appeared to have 

 returned in later )'ears. This rare occurrence has never been recorded in any work 

 on Natural History, so I think it is well worthy of insertion in these notes." 



Family LANIID.^. 



Great Grey Shrike : La?iius excubitor. 



An occasional visitor met with in Essex in most years from 

 autumn to spring, and very exceptionally during summer. Records 

 given below, to which Yarrell, More, Hoy and other good 

 observers apparently give credence, speak of its having been seen 

 in Essex during summer, and a specimen was seen by a trustworthy 

 observer near Kelvedon in May last, but it is not known with certainty 

 to have nested in Britain. 



Henry Doubleday, writing in 1831, says that he had never seen more than one 

 in Epping Forest, but he afterwards heard of a female, shot about six miles from 

 the town, early in March, 1845 (10). He also writes (23. 40) : 



" An individual of this species which I had in confinement for a long time, in- 

 variably hung its food round the cage. If half-a-dozen birds were put in, it hung 

 them all up by forcing their heads between the wires of the cage, and pieces of 

 meat were also fastened up. I never saw the Red-backed Shrike impale insects, 

 nor do I recollect ever to have found any impaled here, although the bird is not 

 at all uncommon.'' 



Edward Doubleday, in 1835, mentions (15) its having been killed at Harlow. 

 Mr. Parsons says (11) it was " rarely seen " in Rochford Hundred in his day. 

 Hoy records (18. i. 117) one "caught in a common trap-cage set for small birds 

 in a garden on the outskirts of Colchester in February, 1836." Mr, Clarke says 

 (24) in his notes, that round Saffron Walden " generally two or three are killed 

 every season, during the winter." From this it appears to have been of more 

 frequent occurrence then than now. Mr. Clarke specially mentions one shot by 

 Mr. Salmon at Wendon in 1827, a female shot by a Mr. Master in Burton Wood 

 Saffron Walden, in Nov., 1843, a female shot at Thaxted on Dec. 15th, 1844, a 

 male (now in the Audley End Collection) shot at Saffron Walden on Mar. 3rd 

 1854, and a female shot at Shortgrove Park on Apr. 5th, 1854. A male was 

 killed at Loughton on Apr. 12th, 1858 (23. 6096), and another (23. 8325) on Oct 

 28th, 1862, in a garden adjacent to Leyton Marsh. Mr. Kerry records (34. 4827) 

 a male in full plumage shot at Ramsey on Nov. 9th, 1875, and he himself shot 

 one near Harwich on Dec. 6th, 1879 (40. iv. p. 70). A female was shot at 

 Clavering on Nov, 1 2th, 1880, by Mr. H. Rolfe (44. i. Ixiii). A female was shot at 

 Willingaleon Nov. ist, 1881 {Chelmsford Chronicle, Nov. 4). Mr. Scruby informs 

 me of one shot at Forest Hall, Ongar, and another at Beauchamp Roding about 

 thirty years ago. Mr. Pettitt, of Colchester, preserved one picked up dead close 

 to his shop, on Dec. 3rd, 1888, it having been killed by flying against the telegraph 

 wires. In 1882, one was shot near Tha.xted about April loth. Mr. J. A. Cooper of 

 Leytonstone records one (29. Oct. 25) captured on Oct. 8th, 1884, near Epping, by 

 a bird-catcher netting small birds. One was shot near Elmdon by Mr. Nottage, of 

 Jan. 7th, 1885, and another at Thaxted on Nov. loth, 1886. Mr. John Smith of 



