Passeres 



61 



gardens in Europe, south-west Asia, and north-west 

 Africa, and is one of the brilliant members of a large 

 family extending over a great part of the globe. The 

 female shews little yeUow. 



Family LANIID^, or Shrikes 



The only member of this family that breeds regu- 

 larly in our islands is the Red-backed Shrike or Butcher- 



Red-backed Shrikes 



bird {Lanius collurio), which gradually decreases in 

 numbers as far north as southern Scotland and is only 

 a straggler to the north of that country or to Ireland. 

 Arriving early in May it is a conspicuous object as it 

 sits on the tops of bushes, telegraph-wires, and the like, 



