272 THE GREAT GREY SHRIKE 



undergoing the process of dishevelment and distortion 

 which is the almost invariable doom of locally preserved 

 specimens, and the fine contrast of silver grey, sable, 

 and snowy white which its plumage once displayed 

 was obscured by a thick deposit of dust. The bird had 

 paid the usual penalty enacted in this country upon 

 creatures of conspicuous plumage. It had the mis- 

 fortune to take up temporary quarters in the garden 

 of a gamekeeper, where it remained some days before it 

 occurred to him that he might as well shoot it. The pity 

 of it ! for what a rare opportunity was lost of observing 

 the peculiar habits of the bird. Its practice of im- 

 paling beetles, mice, small birds and anything edible 

 upon thorns is too well known to require description, 

 but a record of the contents of its larder should have 

 been kept. How many of us would have derived 

 intense pleasure from the sojourn in our premises 

 of such a distinguished stranger. It is vexatious that 

 it chose for its host one who could derive no enjoyment 

 from glancing wings and delicate colouring, but could 

 be satisfied with nothing but blood. 



The great grey shrike has not been recorded as breed- 

 ing hi Great Britain, which is difficult to account for, 

 as it nests regularly in Holland, where spring diet is 

 not more abundant than with us. 



Since writing this note I find that another grey 

 shrike has been sacrificed in Galloway during the 

 present winter, in precisely similar circumstances to 

 the other. It was killed in a garden where it had 

 made itself at home for weeks. 



A correspondent hi the Orange River Colony sends 



