43 THE BIRDS OF DEVON". 



continually sally forth on some passing insect, or make 

 their pounce on a mouse or small bird seen below. They 

 are very tame, permitting a very close approach ; and are 

 all handsome, conspicuous birds, lively and restless, con- 

 tinually flirting their long tails from side to side. 



Great Grey Shrike. Lanius exculitor, Linn. 



A winter visitor of occasional occurrence ; specimens are also recorded 

 as having been obtained in spring, summer, and autumn. We have only 

 known seven occurrences of the Great Ore}- Shrike in Xorth Devon, two 

 of which occurred to ourselves. One day when out shooting in the 

 neighbourhood of Earnstaple we came upon a Great Grey Shrike being 

 mobbed by a lot of Finches, one of which he had been devouring. As the 

 bird flew off we noticed its undulating flight. Another was seen by Mr. 

 Murray W. Mathew in the early spring, in a lane just outside his house 

 in Barnstaple. Perched upon a small ash tree in the hedge it permitted 

 him to walk immediately beneath. 



One shot at, Leigham 1815, one seen at Ham, near Plymouth, 1830, one shot on 

 Haldon bv Mr. Tucker, of Mount Plea.sant, near Pawli-ih, in June 18:^0, and one shot 

 near Millaton (E. M., Trans. Plym. Inst. 1830, p. 299 ; Ma^. Nat. Hist. 1837, p. 170 ; 

 Howe's Peramb. Dartmoor, p. 233), One shot in Noveuiber 1849 at Roborough (R, A, J,, 

 ' Naturalist,' 18.t1, p. .58). A male killed near Plymouth, January 0th, 1854 (J, G,, 

 ' Naturabst,' 1854, p. 00). One obtained by Dr. Tripe near Plymouth (J. B. R., MS. 

 Notes). Asbburton (A. G. C. T., ' Guide to the Scenery '). One seen near Topsham in 

 April 1839 (,F. W. L. R., MS. ii. p, 00). One near E.wter early in 1845 (\V. R. S., 

 Zool. p. 98.3). One killed in Tawton Marshes, above Barnstaple, in October 18.55, 

 another near Barnstaple, January 18.58 ; four seen there Deceuiber 7th, 1809 : and one 

 March 1870 (M. A. M., Zool. pp. 534.5, 6015; 1870, p. 2144; G. F. M., Zool. 1872, 

 p. 2918). One shot at Torquay in July 1805 (R. C), and one seen October 14th, 

 1809 (A. von II., Zool, 1870, p. 1983). One seen between Lydford and Bridestowe, 

 November 15th, 1870 (J, G.), One near Honilcn winter of 1870-1 (' Exeter Gazette' 

 for January 13ih, 1871). One at Watcombe beginning of April 1877 (G. R. Corbin, 

 ZooL 1877, p. 444). A young female shot March 1st, 1882, at Morchard Bishop was 

 seen by us in the fle.sh (Zool. 1882. p. 148). A young male was shot on the banks of the 

 Kingsbridge Estuary, November 19th, 1883, by W. C. Mackie (E. A. S. E„ Zool, 1884, 

 p. 147) : this specimen is in the collection of Mr. Henry NiehoUs, Kingsbridge, 

 ■where we saw it in September 1890. One at Broad Clyst, near Exeter (W. E. H. 

 Pidsley, in ' Notes and Gleanings,' i. p. 4*5). 



Some of the above occurrences may pos.sibly have been examples of 

 Pallas's Great Grey Shrike (Lanivs major, Pallas), which has been met 

 with on several occasions in the British Islands ; it has only one white 

 bar on the wings, whilst in the typical L. excuhitor there are two, i. e. one 

 on the bases of the secondaries and one on the primaries. These two 

 races are, however, known to interbreed. The summer instances may 

 l)erhaps relate to the next species. 



