THE GREAT GREY SHRIKE. 7 
central tail feathers black, outer feathers white, intermediate feathers grading 
between the two colours; under surface white; flanks slightly greyish; the lores, 
cheeks, and ear-coverts black: bill black, the lower mandible paler at the base; 
feet black; iris dark brown. 
The female chiefly differs from the male in its slightly duller colouring, and 
in having the neck and breast barred with greyish brown. The young are dull 
grey above, and dull white below, the barring of the underparts extending over the 
belly; the bill and feet are also paler than in the adults. 
The flight of this bird, as judged by the two or three specimens which I have 
seen, is somewhat wild and undulating: in its habits it resembles the common 
Red-backed species, keeping much to the open country, the outskirts of woods, or 
to hedgerows; when first noticed it was in each case just leaving a bare projecting 
branch of a tree. 
The food of the Great Grey Shrike consists of good sized insects, new-born 
birds, or adult birds of such genera as Parus or Regulus, frogs, lizards, slow-worms, 
mice, etc.: it is more raptorial than the Red-backed Shrike; and, not only some- 
times hunts down and hovers over its prey, but even holds it down on a branch 
and deliberately picks it to pieces after the manner of a hawk; though, as a rule, 
it spits it on a thorn after the fashion of its kind. 
The nest is usually placed at a much greater height from the ground than 
that of our common British species, viz:—at from ten to thirty feet, in the forked 
branch of an olive, apple, pear, oak, or fir tree; it is bulky, and large as that of 
a Blackbird, and is formed of twigs, bents, dead leaves, green grass, and moss; 
the lining consisting of rootlets, wool, hair, and feathers. The eggs number from 
five to seven, usually five, and vary from creamy to bluish white, with lighter or 
darker olivaceous spots and blotches, frequently forming a well-defined zone just 
above the middle, and accompanied by lilac-grey shell-markings; sometimes 
they form a large patch at one end (usually the larger one). 
Nidification as a rule commences about the middle of May; incubation lasts 
fifteen days; and, during the rearing of the young, this species is most courageous 
in their defence, driving away even the Crow-family from the vicinity of its nest. 
Gatke says:—‘ This bird, though very cautious in general, is yet not unfre- 
quently caught in the throstle bush; that, however, such a fate is well deserved, 
is shown by the discovery of many a poor little Redbreast with its brains hacked 
out, the work of this ruthless aggressor. I have even on one occasion seen a 
Blackbird, as it was hastening along over the grass, pounced upon by one of these 
daring robbers, and succumb, after a short struggle, to the bites of his assailant.” 
Lord Lilford says that about the end of December, 1880, he received a fine 
