AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 71 



as has often happened since his day, and altogether I 

 think that those of my readers who are ornithologists 

 will agree with me that our present species is much 

 more likely to have been shot once in Oxenden Closes 

 than to have bred more than once in Whittlewood 

 Forest, to be seen now and then in various other 

 places in the county, and to be called " Night-Jarr," 

 whereas all the above occurrences are more than pro- 

 bable with regard to the bird which properly bears 

 this latter designation, though we moderns consider 

 one final "r" sufficient. We will, at all events, re- 

 tain the Great Grey Shrike on our list, and leave the 

 locality to the judgment and taste of our readers upon 

 the above evidence. In a letter from Mr. W. Dunbar, 

 a well-known ornithologist, to Mr. G. Edmonds, of 

 Oundle, kindly forwarded to me by the latter-named 

 gentleman, he mentions the Great Grey Shrike as 

 having been met with near Braunstone, and I was 

 told many years ago, on good authority, of an occur- 

 rence of this bird near Northampton. A specimen 

 was shot by one Russell in Holme Fen, probably in 

 1824, as I am informed by Mr. John Heath cote, of 

 Connington Castle. We cannot claim this last as a 

 Northamptonshire bird, but I mention it, as a flight 

 of some eight or ten miles \vould have brought it over 

 our borders, and in treating of zoology it is irksome 

 to be strictly bound by political divisions. 



This Shrike is common in Holland, Belgium, parts 

 of France, and in Switzerland, in which last country 

 I have often met with it. It is rather a shy and wary 

 bird, generally selecting a tree-top or high bare bough 

 in a hedge as a look-out station, and making off on 

 the approach of danger with a rapid undulating flight. 

 In the summer months the food of this bird seems to 



