XX.] 



OF SELBORNE. 



63 



since, that, on recollection, he has seen some of the same birds 

 round his ponds in former summers. 



The next bird that I procured (on the 21st of May) was a 

 male red-back butcher bird (Lanius collurio). My neighbour who 

 shot it says that it might easily have escaped his notice, had 

 not the outcries and chattering of the white-throats and other 

 small birds drawn his attention to the bush where it was : its 

 craw was filled with legs and wings of beetles. 



THE BUTCHER BIKD. 



The next rare birds (which were procured for me last week) 

 were some ring-ousels (Turdus torquatus). 



This week twelve months a gentleman from London being 

 with us, was amusing himself with a gun, and found, he told us, 

 on an old yew hedge where there were berries, some birds like 

 blackbirds, with rings of white round their necks : a neighbour- 

 ing farmer also at the same time observed the same ; but, as no 

 specimens were procured, little notice was taken. I mentioned 



