THE ZooLocist—DerceMBER, 1876. 5179 
to the ear-coverts, though not crossing the forehead, which is ash-gray. 
Wings dull brownish black, with the coverts, secondaries, tertials, and 
primaries more or less broadly edged and tipped with white; bases of the 
primaries white, forming a conspicuous patch similar to that of L. excubitor. 
Throat, breast and belly wholly dullish white, without an indication of the 
semi-circular bars usual on the breast of the young L. excubitor; but the 
sides under the wings are gray, faintly barred, and showed, I think, a slight 
blush when first caught. Outer tail-feather altogether white, with the 
middle of its shaft only black; outer web, base and tip of the second feather 
white, with an elongated patch on the middle of the inner web; centre of 
the third feather black on both webs—base and tip white; fourth feather 
black, with the exception of a very small portion of white at the base and 
tip; two middle feathers wholly black, but all the quills of both wings and 
tail are much narrower in proportion than those of L. excubitor. The plain 
white under parts, however, and the outer feather of the tail suffice, I think, 
to distinguish the young of L. minor.—J. Gatcombe; 8, Lower Durnford 
Street, Stonehouse, Devon. 
[This makes the fourth recorded occurrence of the lesser gray shrike in 
England. The first was obtained at Scilly in November, 1851, and is in 
the collection of Mr. Rodd, of Penzance. The second was shot near Great 
Yarmouth in the spring of 1869, and is in the possession of the Rey. 
Murray A. Mathew, of Bishop's Lydeard; the third was procured also near 
Yarmouth, in May, 1875, and is in the collection of Mr. J. H. Gurney, of 
Northrepps, near Norwich.—Ep.] 
Rufous Warbler at Slapton, Devon.—I wish to record the occurrence 
near here—at Slapton, and bordering on the sea—of the rufous warbler 
(Adon galactodes), on the 12th of this month. Asa gentleman and some 
friends were crossing a turnip-field, a small bird of a very light colour was 
seen to rise and fly on to the hedge: its peculiar action of flying up per- 
pendicularly and alighting again at the same place, with expanded tail, 
attracted attention, and it was approached and shot. The bird was sent to 
my brother, R. P. Nicholls, at whose house I have carefully examined it, 
and find it to be a male of the above species: it has much the appearance 
of a bird of the year, the dark band on the tail being very indistinct, and 
the middle feathers short. The specimen mentioned in Yarrell as having 
occurred in 1859 must have been captured but a short distance from the 
spot where this bird was taken. I have also to mention the occurrence here 
of a female Montagu’s harrier, a little tern, a curlew sandpiper, and a little 
stint.—Henry Nicholls; Roseland, Kingsbridge, Devon, October 20, 1876. 
[We have received a second notice of this bird from the Rev. Murray A. 
Mathew, who saw it at the house of Mr. Nicholls. He confirms the state- 
ment that it is an immature specimen, and adds that ‘‘in the adult bird a 
band of black extends across the end of the tail, with a white edging, giving 
