THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 17 



the spring, when southern and south-eastern species usually make 

 their appearance here. 



This Shrike breeds in Portugal, Spain, and southern France. 

 According to von der Miihle, solitary examples are said to breed 

 also in Greece. 



51. Lesser Grey Shrike [SCHWARZSTIRNIGER WURGER]. 

 LANIUS MINOR, Linn. 



Heligolandish : Swart-hoaded VerwbahTfink = Black-headed Shrike. 



Lanius minor. Naumann, ii. 15. 



Lesser Grey Shrike. Dresser, iii. 393. 



Pie grieche a poitrine rose. Temminck, Manuel, i. 144, iii. 84. 



As one might expect, this Shrike, which only rarely passes 

 beyond the northern limits of Germany, occurs in Heligoland only 

 in extremely isolated instances. Some thirty or forty years ago, 

 when May was usually a fine and warm month, one or two of 

 these birds used to be seen here if not every year, yet fairly 

 frequently they were, however, shot only on very rare occasions, 

 as it is perhaps the shyest and most cautious species of the whole 

 family. However, the raw and cold weather experienced almost 

 annually during April and May since that time has kept the 

 bird away from the island, besides many other interesting guests 

 which, in former years, used to visit us in greater or less abund- 

 ance. The last example of this species which has been seen 

 here was shot by Aeuckens at the beginning of June 1887 : the 

 one before this was seen in May 1883, but not killed ; and a 

 young summer bird, the only example ever observed here in early 

 plumage, was shot on the 23rd of July 1877. 



The nesting area of this species extends from France through 

 south and central Europe, and within the same parallels of latitude, 

 about as far as Central Asia. Only a few cases of the occurrence of 

 isolated examples of this bird in England, Denmark, and Scandi- 

 navia are known. 



52. Woodchat Shrike [ROTHKOPFIGER WURGER]. 

 LANIUS RUFUS, Brisson. 



Heligolandish : Road-hoaded Verwoahrfink = Eed-headed Shrike. 

 Lanius rufus. Naumann, ii. 22. 



Woodchat Shrike. Dresser, iii. 407. 

 Pie grieche romse. Temminck, Manuel, i. 146, iii. 82. 

 This handsome Shrike is of still rarer occurrence in Heligoland 

 than the preceding species ; in the course of the last forty years, 



