104 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



Brentwood has one shot at Brook Street in Oct., 1887. It is killed most winters 

 in the Colchester district (Laver). Mr. Main of Walton killed one there about 

 the middle of Oct., 1889. Mr. Stacey of Dunmow has one caught in a bush there 

 several years ago. Mr. Kerry records a male shot at Harwich on Dec. 7th, 1889, 

 which had an entire Sky-lark's foot in its stomach (40. xiv. 20), and he informs 

 me that another was seen there on the i6th. Mr. Pettitt received a female, shot 

 at Halstead two days later. 



J. D. Ho}^ says (12. iv. p. 341) : " Seldom a season passes without my observ- 

 ing- the bird in this neighbourhood. A friend of mine assures me he has seen it 

 in Essex, near Colchester, in the month of June, that he had a good view of the 

 bird, and couli not be mistaken, but I consider it merely an accidental occurrence." 



W. D. King writes (20) : 



" Last summer (1837), whilst walking near Chilton Hall, my brother's atten- 

 tion was attracted by the clamour of a group of small birds. Cautiously 

 approaching the spot, he soon discovered the cause of the uproar in one of these 

 Shrikes, upon whose character the surrounding group appeared to be earnestly 

 and angrily descanting. At the same time he observed a pair of Red-backed 

 Shrikes sitting upon a neighbouring hedge." 



Chilton Hall lies only a few miles beyond the Essex boundary. Yarrell says 

 (14. i. 150), "On two occasions it has been seen in Essex during summer by 

 observers who know this bird well." More says (33. 17), " Yarrell mentions its 

 occurrence during summer in Essex and Northumberland." Mr. Hope also 

 writes : " Not uncommon in Essex ; have seen it about breeding time, but have 

 never found the nest." 



A more recent instance of its occurrence in Essex during the summer is 

 mentioned in a letter to me from Mr. Spalding of Colchester, who writes : — 



"On Sunday, May 12th, 1889, when walking from Kelvedon Station to- 

 wards Prested Hall, Peering, on the Colchester high-road, we saw a Greater 

 Shrike sitting on the telegraph wire. We got quite close, but it flew along a 

 hedge in an adjoining field, and though we looked closely, we failed to get a 

 second sight of it." 



Mr. Clarke writes me that he believes it bred near Audley End on one occa- 

 sion many years ago. The son of a baker, named Bush, took a nest belonging 

 to " a great slate-coloured bird," and brought the eggs to the Walden Museum 

 for comparison. They were, in Mr. Clarke's opinion, undoubtedly those of this 

 species, but he could not persuade the boy to part with them. 



Greater Grey Shrike : Lanius exaibitor-inajor. 



Probably not much less common during winter than the form 

 mentioned above, but from which it is not often distinguished. It 

 is the Eastern and Siberian form of the common Great Grey Shrike? 

 and can only be regarded as sub-specifically distinct from that bird, 

 though some writers have raised it to full specific rank. In Scan- 

 dinavia, both species meet and freely interbreed, producing inter- 

 mediate forms. Typical specimens may be chiefly distinguished 

 by their wing-spots, the true L. exailntor having two : the sub-species, 

 only one. I have myself only identified two Essex examples of 

 the latter form ; but no doubt an examination would show that many 

 of the specimens mentioned above belong to this form ; while pos- 

 sibly some might be found to belong to an allied, but much rarer, 



