THE WAXWING. '5 



second order of merit (Gefiederte Welt, 1891, p. 499). Although rarer than the 

 Red-backed Shrike, there is not the least doubt that its song is neither so pure, 

 nor so perfect in its imitative power ; and, when one has to keep a species in a 

 separate cage, on account of its domineering, spiteful, or even dangerous character, 

 it is most satisfactory to get something in exchange for the extra trouble required 

 to preserve it in health : therefore, if I already possessed Lanins collurio, I certainly 

 should not covet its rarer relative. 



In contradiction to the statement of Mr. C. A. Wright respecting the shyness 

 of the Woodchat, excepting when defending its young, Lord Lilford's observations 

 are interesting; for he states that the "Woodchat is a very familiar and fearless 

 bird, and seems often to prefer the vicinity of human habitations for its nest. In 

 all its habits this Shrike seems to me to approach closely to the Flycatchers." 

 Seebohm also says of L. pomeranus (which, however, in common with most Ornith- 

 ologists, he calls L. rufus) " It is not a wary bird, and, with due precaution, may 

 be quite closely approached." It is therefore probable that this species would not 

 be difficult to tame, if kindly treated. 



FAMILY AMPELIM). 



FORMERLY this constituted a fairly large group, including even such distinct 

 looking birds as the members of the genus Liothrix, birds moreover which, 

 in their habits, nearly resemble our Accentors : I believe, however, that the relation- 

 ship of Liothrix to Accentor is now recognized. Jerdon even included the Tits, as 

 well as the White-eyes and Accentors, in the same family. 



Seebohm, who only admitted one family for the Passeres, necessarily regarded 

 the present group as a Subfamily " consisting of birds having the wing of a 

 Starling, the foot of a Shrike, and a bill intermediate between that of a Shrike 

 and a Swallow. They are probably most nearly allied to the Shrikes and the 

 Starlings : from the former they may at once be distinguished by the minuteness 

 of their bastard primary, their short tarsus, and their nearly obsolete rictal bristles. 

 Ornithologists are perhaps justified in placing them in a distinct Subfamily, in 



