In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 



189 



bird, a fact which will be realised as not unlikely when it is remem- 

 bered that in its congener, the Great Grey Shrike, and in other kin- 

 dred species, there is little if any difference between the sexes. During* 

 the summer of 1S77, near Wokingham, in Berkshire, I got within 

 a few feet of one of these birds under an old pollard oak, and was 

 convinced that the specimen before me was one of these old females. 

 The bird was not aware of my presence, so that I had a long and 

 careful scrutiny of its plumage at a distance of not more than five 

 or sis feet off, and though its garb was undoubtedly that of the male, 

 there was a dull greyish tint over the whole of its feathering, that 

 I had never before noticed in a cock bird. I had no means of 

 securing it, but felt convinced that it was one of these old females. 



Lanius Rutilus. " The Woodchat Shrike/' This species, with 

 the exception, perhaps, of Lanius Minor (which latter bird has only 

 quite recently been added to our British list), is one of the rarest of 

 all our visitors, and though there have been occurrences recorded in 

 many of the neighbouring counties, I cannot hear of one in Wilts. 

 The nearest to us is a specimen which I have seen in Mr. Hart's 

 collection at Christchurch, and which was killed not many years 

 since near that place. Mr. Harbour, the naturalist at Beading, 

 told me of one that was killed about six years ago at W r yfold Court, 

 near Henley, and which passed through his hands for preservation. 

 The Bev. A. C. Smith also, I see, records an instance of its capture 

 in Somerset, and Meyer another in Surrey, so that it is curious that 

 no occasion has been recorded of its having been either seen or 

 captured in our own county. 



Muscicapid^i. 



Muscicapa Grisola. " Spotted Fly-catcher. Quite common, 

 one of our latest migrants, lively and familiar; a bird that speaks to 

 us of summer-weather, and would be sadly missed from its place on 

 the garden fence or railing. 



Muscicapa Atricapilla. Bare, but I think gradually becoming 

 more common amongst us than formerly. The cock bird could 

 hardly escape without notice, from its clearly-defined black-and- 

 white plumage, though the female, unless seen close at hand, might 



