In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 



185 



But to proceed at once to the subject-matter in hand. I will only 

 premise that it is not so much my intention to give a description of 

 the birds themselves, as to mention whatever occurrences of our rarer 

 species I can with due enquiry substantiate, and to jot down any facts 

 ooncerning those which occur more commonly amongst us, which I 

 think may possibly be interesting to the general reader. 



DENTIROSTRES. 



Laniad,e. 



Lanius Excubitor. "The Great Grey Shrike/' By an easy 

 transition we seem to pass from the Rap tores to that section of the 

 Insessores (or perchers), distinguished by the term Deutirostres, or 

 tooth-billed, amongst which, both as to size, colour, and character, 

 the ash-coloured, or Great Grey Shrike stands out conspicuously in 

 the fore-ground. This tribe of birds is commonly known by the 

 name of the Laniada, or Butcher-Birds : a title they justly earn by 

 the peculiar manner in which they are accustomed to secure their 

 prey, loving to impale their victims with their deeply-notched bill 

 on some sharp thorn, and then to tear it to pieces at their leisure. 

 The Great Grey or" Magpie" Shrike (as it is sometimes called) is a bird 

 no one could see without at once noticing. Its light grey colour, 

 with the jet black band running across the eye, giving it a peculiar 

 appearance, unlike any other bird. It is by no means common in 

 this country, and it is not likely to be overlooked when it does visit 

 us. I have several notices of its occurrence in our more immediate 

 neighbourhood. Two Grey Shrikes, as I am informed by Mr. 

 Norwood, of the South Western Railway, were shot, about the year 

 1853, in Hurstbourne Park, Whitchurch, by a keeper of Lord 

 Portsmouth, named Ford, as they were flying amongst the big 

 thorn bushes in the park. This was in the month of May, and in 

 November, 1868, Mr. Norwood saw one himself at Pirbright, be- 

 tween Woking and Farnborough. The bird was sitting on the top 

 of a little fir tree, about twenty-five yards from the railway, and did 

 not fly off while the train was in sight. " I was driving the engine 

 at the time;"" he writes me word, "and I have often noticed the 

 Red-backed Shrike, sitting on the telegraph wires whilst all the train 



