BIRDS OF THE WOODS 43 



tail-coverts. Nestling : covered with fawn-coloured 

 down, striped all down centre of back with chestnut 

 and bordered with cream-colour ; black line through eye. 



Language. Two notes one a sharp and the other a 

 deep kind of whistle, something like a frog's croak. 



Habits. Nocturnal, spending the day under some 

 umbrageous bush, coming forth at night with curious 

 zigzagging flight, and probing soft, damp places with its 

 long, sensitive bill for food. Note the backward position 

 of eyes, a provision of nature enabling the bird to probe 

 in the mud without choking the eyes with it. If danger 

 threatens, the parents will remove their young to a 

 place of safety. 



Food. Worms especially ; also beetles, insects, small 

 Crustacea, &c. 



Nest. March or April. One brood. 



Site. In a slight hollow, sheltered by long grass, 

 bracken, and the like, in sequestered woods. 



Materials. If any, a few leaves, grasses, or fern-fronds. 



Eggs. Four. Pale drab-yellow or stone-colour, 

 spotted and blotched rather sparingly with light yellowish 

 brown, umber-brown, and ash-grey. Not very pyriform 

 in shape. 



GREAT GREY SHRIKE (Lanius excubitor). 



A fairly frequent visitor in autumn and winter ; 

 it has not been proved to breed here. 



Plumage. Eye-stripe white ; lores and ear-coverts 

 black ; upper parts pearl-grey, whiter on the scapulars. 

 Wings black ; primaries and secondaries tipped with 

 white, making two white bars. Tail black, tipped with 

 white ; outer tail-feathers white ; under parts white. 



