GREAT GREY SHRIKE. 37 



Several of these birds were seen about a hedge at South- 

 wick J and one of them was shot on the first day of its ap- 

 pearance, and another the next. I saw them both soon 

 afterwards, about October 1846. 



I also knew of one taken in a clap-net, in a brickfield near 

 Horsham, having pounced on a G-oldfinch, which was used 

 as a call-bird, in January 1850. It was an old male, in 

 beautiful plumage ; and in February 1852, two were shot 

 near Pevensey by Mr. Vidler. 



In December of the next year I had the pleasure of seeing 

 one myself in this neighbourhood, and of watching it for 

 some minutes as it sat on the top of an oak tree, moving its 

 tail up and down with great rapidity. It was pointed out to 

 me by a labourer, who had seen it on a lawn about half a 

 mile from Cowfold. It very soon darted into a thicket and 

 disappeared. At this time there was a severe frost. On the 

 15th of February, 1853, another was shot at Shipley. 



Some years after this, in March 1881, happening to be at 

 Eastbourne, I saw one of these Shrikes come in from the 

 sea, and remarked its very undulating fiight, like that of a 

 Woodpecker. In Mr. Jeffery's private notes, he records one 

 killed at Jevington on 19th November, 1861. 



The ' Zoologist ' records : — One taken near Lewes in a 

 clap-net while attacking a call-bird, February 3rd, 1849 

 (p. 2452) ; another at Worthing, in 1859 (p. 6606) ; a third 

 at Pevensey, in 1866 (p. 9655) ; and a fourth at Sidlesham, 

 in 1868 (p. 2059, s. s.), as well as a female shot near Brighton, 

 mentioned in the vol. for 1880 (p. 147) . 



