RED-BACKED SHKIKK 



PASSjRS. 





LANIUS COLLURIO, Linnaeus*. 

 THE RED-BACKED SHRIKE. 



Lanius collurio. 



THE lower figure of the engraving represents the male, 

 and the upper figure the ordinary appearance of the female, 

 of the Eed-backed Shrike, a well-known and regular, though 

 somewhat local, summer-visitor to this country. It arrives 

 in Italy from Africa about the beginning of April, and 

 reaches England by the end of that month or early in May, 

 leaving again in September. It frequents the sides of 

 woods and high hedge-rows, generally in pairs, and may 

 frequently be seen perched on the uppermost branch of an 

 isolated bush on the look-out for prey. The males have a 

 chirping note, not unlike that of the Sparrow, which is 



* Syst. Nat. Eil. 12, i. p. 136 (1766). 

 VOL. I. E E 



