BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 57 
"^Stll . ^l: '"^ ^^'^^ ^li^'i he stated in 
1905 that this species "was only once found at Loch- 
maben t he had in his mind the latter of the above records 
1 was told by a keeper on the Drumlanrig estate that many 
years ago a shrike had been shot near the farm of Holm 
(Closeburn). My informant was emphatic that it was not 
a Great Grey Shrike, but I am of the opinion that he referred 
!hot !t t^^'^^y under the preceding species as 
shot at Kirkbog (Closeburn) in the winter of 1878-1879 
{see p. 55). Mr. John Corrie writes me, "On May 22nd 
1910 a strange bird was seen here (Moniaive, Glencairn)' 
which I have not the slightest doubt was the Red-backed 
bhnke. It was seen first by my son, and later in the day I 
had the satisfaction of seemg it myself. I examined it care- 
fully through a field-glass and I have independent reports 
which confirm my observations. The bird or birds (my son 
thmks there may have been two) remained for three days 
but I have been unable to find any trace of them since ' 
N J r of the Red-backed Shrike extend to 
Natal and Cape Colony, and it is a common summer-visitor 
to l!.ngland, becoming rarer towards the north H A 
Macpherson wrote as regards Lakeland, in 1892, of " their 
extreme scarcity at the present time, though formerly not 
very uncommon "J This species has also been known to 
breed occasionaUy in south-east Scotland. 
THE WAXWING. Ampdis garrulns, Linn^us. 
A very rare accidental visitor. 
The specimen of the Waxwing now in the Kirkcudbright 
Museum was kiUed on December 25th, 1882, at Kingholm 
(Dumfries). It was knocked over by a boy with a stone as it 
was sitting on a hedge. WiUiam Hastings, the taxidermist 
* New Stat. Acct. Scot., Vol. IV., p. 382. 
t Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Soc, April 20th, 1905. 
% Fauna of Lakeland, 1892, p. 120. 
