BUTCHER-BIRD RINGOUSELS, 67 



The next bird that I procured (on the 21st of 

 May) was a male red-backed butcher bird, lanius 

 collurio. My neighbour, who shot it, says that it 

 might easily have escaped his notice, had not the 

 outcries and chattering of the white-throats and 

 other small birds drawn his attention to the bush 

 where it was ; its craw was filled with the legs and 

 wings of beetles. 



The next rare birds (which were procured 

 for me last week) were some ringousels, (turdi 

 torquati 1 .) 



This week twelvemonths a gentleman from 

 London, being with us, was amusing himself 

 with a gun, and found, he told us, on an old yew- 

 hedge, where there were berries, some birds like 

 blackbirds, with rings of white round their necks : 

 a neighbouring farmer also at the same time 

 observed the same ; but, as no specimens were 

 procured, little notice was taken. I mentioned 

 this circumstance to you in my letter of November 

 the 4th, 1767 : (you, however, paid but small 

 regard to what I said, as I had not seen these 

 birds myself:) but last week the aforesaid farmer, 

 seeing a large flock, twenty or thirty of these 

 birds, shot two cocks and two hens ; and says, on 

 recollection, that he remembers to have observed 



flocks, with its young. About October, they are again 

 dispersed, migrating to warmer shores. I have received 

 specimens from Africa, the Delft Islands, and various 

 parts of India and China. W. J. 



1 Before migrating to their winter quarters, and often 

 ere the duties of incubation are over, they leave their 

 mountainous haunts, and descend to the nearest gardens, 

 where they commit severe depredations among the cherries, 

 gooseberries, &c. They also frequent holly hedges and the 

 mountain ash, whenever the fruit of these trees is so early as 

 to be of service during their passage. They are known to the 

 country people under the title of " Mountain Blackbirds." 

 W. J. 



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