400 
2 
Young. Above generally reddish brown, the whole plumage downy and soft, the feathers of the head and 
neck transversely banded with ochraceous brown, and the whole upper surface crossed with black trans- 
verse vermiculations broader on the back; the frontlet and eyebrow obliterated ; cheeks dark reddish, 
barred across with black and streaked with fulvous; wing-coverts black, marked with a black line before 
the red edging to the feather; quills dark blackish brown edged with rufous; tail more distinctly 
reddish brown tipped and edged with fulvous, before the apex of each feather a black transverse bar ; 
underneath pale fulvous, the breast and flanks crossed with irregular brown vermiculations; bill and 
legs lead-coloured ; iris light brown. ‘Total length 7:2 inches, culmen 0:6, wing 3:7, tail 2°9, tarsus 0-9. 
LixE the Woodchat the Red-backed Shrike is a common summer visitant to Europe, extending 
its range, however, further north than the last-named bird. In Great Britain it is our com- . 
monest species, and is generally distributed over most of the southern and central counties. 
Mr. More (Ibis, 1865, p. 17) states that it ‘breeds only occasionally in Cornwall, and is appa- 
rently not found in Lincolnshire. Mr. Eyton describes it as very common in Wales; thence 
northward it becomes rare, nesting only occasionally in Westmoreland, Cumberland, and Durham, 
and is not included in the Northumberland list.” 
Respecting its range in Great Britain, Lord Lilford writes to us.as follows :—“ L. collurio is 
gradually extending its range northward in England. I have heard on good authority of its 
having been seen in this county (Northamptonshire) once or twice in the last five years; but I never 
met with it here in my birds’-nesting days, when I flatter myself I knew of almost every bird that 
nested within miles of this place. The common Turtledove, which I never saw in those days, is 
now quite common here in summer; the first I heard of was seen about twelve years ago.” 
But very few instances are known of its having bred in Scotland. The Rev. J. Dunns speaks 
of having once seen a pair during the breeding-season in Berwickshire, and says, ‘‘ Mr. Robert 
Grays tells me that a pair frequented a hedgerow near Dunbar during the breeding-season of 
1852.;” and Mr. J. R. Pencaitland has ascertained that the nest has been once found in Had- 
dingtonshire. 
E. R. Alston writes to us :— 
“‘Only appears in Scotland as a rare, accidental visitor. One was killed in Forfarshire in 
June 1862 (Zoologist, 1864, p. 9360), one in Shetland by Dr. Saxby, in October 1866 (ibid. 1867, 
p- 689); and I have heard of one or two others.” 
In Ireland it has apparently not yet been met with, as it is not included by Thompson. 
Throughout the greater part of continental Europe the Red-backed Shrike is found during 
the summer season. In Scandinavia Westerlund states that it has not been observed further 
north than lat. 20° N. Nilsson says that it is “common in the south of Sweden, but rarer 
towards the centre of the country. It is said, however, to be numerous in Dalecarlia, as also 
near Christiania. It is also abundant on Gothland. It is a migrant, leaving early in September 
and returning about the middle of May.” 
Mr. R. Collett says that it is one of the commonest of the migrants occurring near Chris- 
tiania, and arrives seldom before the 20th of May, and often at the end of that month, the larger 
number leaving again late in August, a few remaining until early in September. They breed 
near Christiania. Kjerbolling also remarks :—“ It is one of our commonest birds, arriving early 
in May, leaving in August, or at latest early in September.” 
