5422 Birds. 



I have no doubt that they both breed, and remain the greater part of 

 the summer. 



I think, however, that the great gray shrike (Lanius excubitor) is 

 rather a scarce bird in the southern part of the Crimea, for Dr. Wil- 

 liam Carte did not obtain a single specimen, and I have not seen ano- 

 ther from that country besides the one which I have, which I pro- 

 cured on the 11th of April, soon after the declaration of peace, in the 

 following manner : — I had ridden, with two others, through the Val- 

 ley of Baidar to the hills on the North overlooking the Valley of the 

 Belbec, returning past a projection of the Mackenzie plateau, the 

 Cape of the Winds; we had just struck the head-waters of the Chu- 

 lui, a small tributary stream of the Tchernaya, the water of which was 

 conducted by an aqueduct eleven miles into Sebastopol, for the sup- 

 ply of the docks ; and as we were riding along we observed a light- 

 coloured bird on the top of a tree, appearing like a small hawk. I 

 disturbed it, by which I saw what sort of bird it was, and therefore 

 left my horse with the others; and unslinging my fowling-piece I ap- 

 proached with a view of stalking it. It was, however, very shy, 

 shifting to another tree every time I was getting near enough. At 

 last, taking a chance shot as it was making a flight, I brought it to 

 the ground ; but it rose again, and led me a long chase over some 

 enclosed land ; and after some search I found it quietly sitting on a 

 a bush, where it allowed me to approach close enough to kill it with 

 dust-shot. I carried it for about twelve miles in a small saddle-bag 

 to camp, and skinned it the next day. I never saw another. This 

 was the first bird which I shot within the Russian lines. 



Mr. Gould considers that some specimens of the redbacked shrike 

 (Lanius collurio), from the Crimea, which he examined, differed in 

 being rather less than British specimens, but sufficiently to be con- 

 sidered distinct. I may here state that nearly the whole of my spe- 

 cimens have been examined by Mr. Gould, who has been kind 

 enough to afford me much valuable information. 



1 find in my journal, "July 1. There are flycatchers here." This 

 may have been written while resting awhile during the heat of the day 

 when out with my fowling-piece hunting for subjects of Zoology, or it 

 may have been noted in the journal on coming in from a ride, during 

 which I may have made the observation ; at any rate, though in so few 

 words, yet it denotes a fact, and helps to assure us that the shortest 

 notes made at the time are afterwards of much value. " There are fly- 

 catchers here :" quite right, for two months after I made my first cap- 

 ture of a pied flycatcher (Muscipapa atricapilla), which was the only 



