The Scottish Naturalist. 
65 
" irregular autumn visitant ; more common perhaps than is sup- 
posed. Observed as long ago as 1845, a specimen in the museum 
being dated that year. . . We have ourselves observed one or 
two specimens on the south-east coast, and there is in our collec- 
tion at Dunipace a male bird shot near Tongue, and sent to us in 
the flesh by Mr. Crawford on 7th December, 1875." 
With regard to Caithness, Mr. Shearer states "thrice found. 
This bird was once captured by me in spring, in the act of attack- 
ing a linnet fixed in a hair snare, and itself got entangled also." 
(Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. II. p. 337.) Messrs. Harvie-Brown and 
Buckley add that this Shrike "has been frequently obtained in Caith- 
ness, and almost always in the winter." They cite a few occurrences 
(Vertebrate Fauna of Sutherland, Caithness and Cromarty, p. 119). 
In 1889, I examined a single-barred Grey Shrike, killed by James 
M'Ewen. Ausdale, Berriedaie, Wick, on or about the 15th of 
April that year. Mr. James Sutherland writes to me that he had 
no reliable information prior to 1889, except the notes recorded 
by Mr. Harvie-Brown. "But on the 24th of March this year, a 
specimen was seen by Mr. Grant, gardener, in our neighbourhood. 
This he minutely described to me at the time. . . The last time 
it was seen by him it had a small bird in its beak. It then flew 
over the garden wall. 
" About three weeks afterwards, a fine specimen entered a house^ 
where it was captured and put in a cage, not far from the above 
garden. It only lived a few days in confinement. It damaged 
itself about the beak in trying to regain its liberty. It was pre- 
served, and is now in the possession of Mr. Sandison here. You 
will see that formerly it was observed here in the fall of the year." 
This specimen, it would appear, was captured in April, 1889. 
VIII. ORKNEY AND SHETLAND ISLANDS. 
Mr. Reid of Wick reminds me that Messrs. Baikie and Heddle 
record some three occurrences of the Great Grey Shrike in 
Orkney. 
Mr. James Sutherland, in a highly interesting letter, tells me of 
a specimen obtained in Orkney in October, 1889. Mr. T. E. 
Buckley will no doubt tell us of additional occurrences, should 
such exist, in his " Birds of Orkney." 
For Shetland, I have at present only Saxby's single record of a 
Great Grey Shrike, seen in December (Zool. S.S. p. 2561). 
E 
