346 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



in the county last named, very likely originated in error. Further 

 inland it is stated to have been met with in Surrey, Hertford- 

 shire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Worcestershire, and York- 

 shire." Mr. E. Gray remarks that it is included in ' Don's list of 

 the Birds of Forfarshire,' but it seems not to have been noticed 

 in Scotland by any other observer ; and the evidence therefore of 

 its occurrence there must be regarded as unsatisfactory. There 

 is no proof of its occurrence in Ireland ; nor have I been able 

 to discover any record of its having visited any of the Welsh 

 counties. 



Mr. Howard Saunders, in his ' Manual of British Birds,' p. 

 145, writes, " Not more than thirty examples are known to have 

 been obtained in England during the last hundred years." The 

 following preserved specimens, of which the history has been 

 lost, may be amongst those referred to by him. 



Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, of the Science and Art Museum, Edin- 

 burgh, writes me word that they have there two adult males, 

 which came to them with the Edinburgh University collection, 

 and bear the original endorsement, " England. Purchased, 

 1824." He adds, " Unfortunately it is now quite impossible to 

 ascertain more about them." In the British Boom at the British 

 Museum there is a nest and two eggs with no label, but the nest 

 contains a slip of paper on which is written in ink, " Woodchat 

 Shrike. Taken June 15th ; two eggs with nest." 



There is also in the British Museum a nest labelled, " Banks 

 of Thames. Presented by the late John Gould." With regard to 

 these, and other nests, it is worth noting that the late Mr. Gould, 

 writing in 1873, and referring to the alleged nesting of the 

 Woodchat in this country, says, " For myself, I have never seen 

 an authenticated egg which had been taken herein " (' Introd. 

 Birds Great Britain,' p. 52). But whether he had not seen the 

 Isle of Wight eggs, or did not believe in them, does not appear. 



Mr. W. Evans informs me that he has seen an old specimen 

 of the bird in the Berwick Museum " which may have been 

 obtained on the Scotch side of the border." 



The following instances of the occurrence of this bird in 

 England have been recorded : — 



Northumberland. — One shot near Bamborough, 29th April, 

 1859. In collection of Mr. H. Cresswell, of Cresswell Tower 

 (Hancock's ' Cat. Birds Northumberland and Durham/ p. 42). 



