THE BIRDS OF RAINHAM. 17 



When partridge shooting I have met with them in 

 our turnip fields ; on one occasion a pair nested and 

 succeeded in hatching their young on an island marsh 

 which had been lying idle throughout the winter and 

 spring. 



BARN OWL. 

 Strix flammed. Linn. 



This most useful bird, I am sorry to say, is a 

 victim to persecution by every pop-gunner in the 

 parish on coming, as it sometimes does. Its life after 

 visiting our stacks once or twice is sure to be sacri- 

 ficed. I have known a pair to breed more than once 

 in our church roof, but this was a few years ago. 



GREAT GREY SHRIKE. 

 Lanius excubitor, Linn. 



The Great Grey Shrike has been observed and 

 shot in my district at least three times. 



I had the pleasure on one occasion of observing a 

 Shrike on the top of a faggot stack in a wood ; it 

 was a brown bird, not unlike a Thrush, but when it 

 flew off it settled upon the tops of the high spray and 

 litters round an adjoining wood where I followed it ; 

 I had no difficulty in identifying the bird, especially 

 when it hovered like a Kestrel over a grassy lea. 

 Could it have been a young bird ? if so it was very 

 wild. Yarrell does not speak of such a variety, 

 neither do other ornithologists. 



C 



