36 THE BIRDS OF SUSSEX. 



PASSERES. 



LANIID^. 



GREAT GREY SHRIKE. 



Lanius excuUtor. 



This bird is generally a winter visitant^ though it occa- 

 sionally occurs in spring. It feeds on mice and small birds, 

 large insects_, especially humble-bees, frogs, and lizards. It 

 has a curious habit of impaling its food on a sharp thorn in 

 order to tear it to pieces more readily, and it has been sug- 

 gested that, owing to the weakness of its legs, it cannot other- 

 wise hold the prey with sufficient tenacity ; these collections 

 of hung-up food have no doubt originated the name of 

 " Butcher-Bird.'^ 



The nest has never been found in Sussex, and the bird is 

 by no means common, but it appears every year in many 

 parts of the county. 



In December 1839, a little before Christmas, two were shot 

 near Bramber Castle, one ten days after the other. This 

 latter, being wounded, bit the hand of the man who shot it 

 very severely. Both are in my possession ; there appears to 

 be no difference in the plumage of the two, each having the 

 semilunar markings on the breast. 



I have a note of one shot near Lancing on November 

 13th, 1845 ; and there is another in my collection, killed at 

 Aldrington in October 1846. 



