ALONG THE LANES AND HEDGEROWS. 53 



on the topmost twigs of the hedges and the dead 

 branches of trees, or even by sitting on gate-posts 

 and telegraph wires. Only last summer (1890), 

 I had a pair of these birds under my special 

 observation for weeks. They had their nest in a 

 beautiful Devonshire lane, adjoining the Great 

 Western Railway ; and every day both male and 

 female the former especially persisted in sitting 

 on the telegraph wires, some fifty yards from their 

 nest, even the noise of passing trains failing to 

 frighten them from their bare and elevated perch. 

 The Red-backed Shrike must be included among 

 the last batch of migrants, arriving in this country 

 at the beginning of May. It will be remarked that 

 the bird is much attached to its haunts, and places 

 frequented one year will usually be visited again 

 the next. The habits of this pretty bird are very 

 like those of the Flycatchers. It loves to sit on 

 some open, elevated perch and to wait for the 

 winged creatures to pass by on which it feeds, 

 darting out after them in fluttering chase, then 

 returning to its perch again. It differs, however, 

 from those birds in one very important particular, 

 and that is its habit of spitting or impaling many 

 of its captures on long sharp thorns among the 

 bushes. Each bird has its own particular larder, 

 where it often retires to eat its meal, or to store 

 provender for future wants. Beetles, bees, grass- 

 hoppers, field mice, small lizards, young birds, 

 and even the adults of such species as Tits, Whin- 

 chats, and Buntings, form the food of the Red- 

 backed Shrike. Small birds and mice are often 

 wedged in between a forked twig, which holds 

 them firmly whilst they are torn to pieces by the 

 hungry Shrike's powerful notched bill. The alarm 



