Se) 
6 
Great Grey Shrike is used in trapping Hawks, as it signals the approach of the Hawk by scream- 
ing loudly. ‘These practices will be fully treated of in the account of some of the Falcons. 
For the following note we are indebted to the kindness of Lord Lilford, who writes to us as 
follows :— 
“The only country in which I have seen much of Lanius excubitor was in the Canton de 
Vaud, in Switzerland, in the years 1850-51. It is pretty common in those parts, apparently 
remaining the whole year. In winter it appears to live upon small birds; and I have seen it 
catch Titmice (Parus major), Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers (Picus minor), and once a Chaffinch 
(Fringilla celebs). The nest was generally placed in a fruit-tree, in the fork of a bough, at from 
five to ten or twelve feet from the ground. It is fond of perching on the top of a high poplar, 
and is very wary in winter, but tame enough and very noisy when breeding. Besides their usual 
hoarse shriek, these birds have rather a pleasing subdued whistle in the spring. I have received 
several of this species alive from Holland, but could never keep them long.” 
Mr. Robson has written to us as follows :— 
«This species is widely distributed in Turkey, Asia Minor, and Europe, but is a scarce bird, 
and never more than one or two are seen at atime. Single birds are taken by bird-catchers in 
the autumn; they fly at birds surrounded by limed twigs, on which they become entangled, and 
are then easily taken. They are partial to an open country dotted with low trees and bushes, on 
which they sit perched, watching for their food. ‘They are very often found in damp valleys, in 
marshy situations. Budik, Asia Minor, is a favourite locality for them. Single birds are shot at 
intervals in the winter up to the spring by sportsmen; they are never seen in summer. They 
feed much on beetles, mice, &c., and often fly from their resting-place and suspend themselves 
in the air with a loud whistling note. They vary much in their coloration, especially in the 
lighter or darker shades of the blue on the back and on the head. Examples of both males and 
females occur with undulated transverse dusky bars on the breast. Asa rule the males are of a 
lighter blue than the females on the head and back; and I have also met with males and females 
which had clear white-coloured foreheads, very white scapulars, and also had larger white bands 
on the wing, and more white on the tail than other examples.” 
The descriptions and figures are from specimens in our own collection, the male being from 
the neighbourhood of Stockholm, procured by Professor Retzius on the 28th of February, 1855 ; 
and the female shot by Dresser near Abo, Finland, on the 21st of April, 1861. 
In the preparation of the above article we have examined the following specimens :— 
E Mus. Sharpe and Dresser. 
a. River Volga (Moeschler). 6. 3. Westphalia (Moeschler). c. Switzerland (Moeschler). d. Lombardy 
(P. L. Sclater). e. 9. Piedmont, November 1869 (Salvadori). jf. Europe (Verreaux). g. 3. Siberia 
(Dybowsky and Parrez). h. &. Schleswig (Moeschler). i. Moscow (C. Sachse). j. 3. Christiana, 
November 16, 1866 (Collett). k. d. Stockholm, February 28, 1855 (Retzius). 1. 9. Abo, April 21, 
1861 (H. E. D.). 
E Mus. A. Newton. 
a. §. Muonioniska, August 31st, 1855 (A. N.). 
