The Zoologist — June, 1871. 2633 



Speaking of the perching birds generally, inclusive of the 

 Corvidae, Mr. Cecil Smith, in his ' Birds of Somersetshire,' says, 

 *' Neither the farmer nor gardener is likely to gain much by a 

 general persecution and massacre of the birds included in this 

 division. My own belief is that, were such a destruction accom- 

 plished, the loss produced by it would give both the farmer and 

 the gardener a very good reason for any amount of grumbling." 



Great Gray Shrike. — This bird was shot at Blackmoor Park in 

 the winter of 1867; and Mr. Edwards says, "Last year 1 saw a 

 specimen in a hedge near Mr. Bullock's flour-mill." Only of 

 occasional occurrence. 



Redbacked Shrike. — A summer visitant, but not of very common 

 occurrence. Mr. Edwards mentions "the Pale Farm" as one of 

 its haunts, where he has seen its nest for the last four years. 



[I am rather surprised to see this bird spoken of as " not of very common 

 occurrence:" on the Herefordshire side of Malvern, in the Bromyard 

 district, and about Leominster, it is perhaps the most abundant of the 

 rupestral summer visitors; it arrives at the beginning of May, and im- 

 mediately begins building its large nest; from which moment its harsh 

 chidiugs are to be heard from every hedge-row. The sexes are not 

 generally so readily distinguished as Mr. Yarrell's figures would induce us 

 to suppose: his left-hand figure is represented in the plumage we usually 

 suppose that of the young bird. Mr. Hoy and Mr. Blyth, both excellent 

 observers, have recorded, in Loudon's 'Magazine of Natural History,' the 

 occurrence of female redbacked shrikes in the plumage of the male, and 

 have spolien of this as very unusual : I think this can scarcely be the 

 case ; eitlier the sexes are very similar, or there is a great preponderance of 

 males on their arrival. — E. Neivman.] 



Spotted Flycatcher. — A spring visitant, and rather general. 



Pied Flycatcher. — Rare, but occasionally seen. 



Missel Thrush. — Resident, though rather uncommon. 



Fieldfare. — An autumnal visitor in considerable flocks, which 

 get much diminished by ihe gunner in the course of the winter. 



Song Thrush. — Resident and general. The thrush claims a 

 little fruit in the summer time for his song, but he more than 

 balances this toll by his raid upon the snails. Mr. Cecil Smith, in 

 his ' Birds of Somersetshire,' says, " The gardener seldom gives 

 credit for the number of snails which fall victims to the thrush." 

 The gardener, he remarks, always says, " It would be better to kill 

 the thrushes, and pay boys to pick off the snails." Of course the 



