;4 THE RED-BACKED SHRIKE 



insects, especially the stag-beetle and grasshopper, though in iti 

 natural state it will capture and destroy any birds inferior t< 

 itself in strength and courage. Its name Lanius (Latin fo: 

 butcher) and Butcher-bird were given to it from its habi 

 of impaling beetles and small birds on thorns in the vicinitj 

 of its nest. Its flight is peculiar, being composed of a seriei 

 of dips, like that of the Wagtail ; and when it quits its perch oi 

 the srunmit of one tail tree to fly to another, it drops and rise 

 again so as to form a curve like that of a loose rope hung from twi 

 taU masts. Another peculiarity of the Shrike is a remarkable powe 

 of imitating the song of other birds, which it is said to exercise ii 

 order to obtain its food more easily, by beguiling the nestlings o 

 the smeJler birds into answering it by a chirrup, and so betra3rini 

 their retreat. The notes which it has been observed to imitate ar 

 those of the Nightingale, Robin, Swallow, and Stone-chat. It 

 proper note is harsh, resembling somewhat that of the Kestrel 

 Shake-shake ! the call note is truii ! Of the Lesser Grey Shrike 

 Lanius minor, there have been few occurrences in these Islands. 



LESSER GREY SHRIKE 



LANIUS MINOR 

 Grey above : breast and flanks roseate ; wing-bar white. 

 Of this species only four occurrences recorded until recently — i: 

 Scilly Islands, Norfolk and Devon. 



THE RED-BACKED SHRIKE 



LANIUS COLLURIO 



Head, nape, shoulders and upper tail-coverts ash-grey, a black band reachin 

 from the gape to beyond the ears ; back, scapulars, and wing-cover1 

 reddish brown ; throat white, passing into rose-red on the breast an 

 flanks ; wings blackish, edged with reddish brown ; tail nearly even a 

 the end, four middle feathers black tipped with reddish grey, the res 

 white from the base through two-thirds of their length, the other thir 

 black with a white tip ; second primary longer than the fifth. Female- 

 upper plumage rusty brown, tinged near the nape and tail with ash 

 grey ; lower white, the sides barred transversely by narrow curved lines 

 outer webs and tips of the outer tail feathers yellowish white, four middl 

 ones uniform dusky brown. Length seven inches ; breadth eleve 

 inches. Eggs cream-coloured, greenish, or delicate grey various! 

 mottled and spotted with light brown and ash-grey. 



The Red-backed Shrike, though not generally diffused throughoi; 

 England, is to certain localities a far from uncommon wemderei 

 but for some reason it has been scarce in 1908. In the woode 



