172 
allen’s naturalist’s lihrary 
Sf,!! , the ma ! e >' otherwise as in the latter sex. Total 
length, 7 5 inches ; wing, 3-9. 
and°ma°rd"n^ a of r thp° W - n than the aduIt femaIe ’ the scapulars 
and margins of the wing-coverts and quills sandy-buff - rump 
and upper tail-coyerts also sandy-buff; crown and hind -3 
pale rufous mottled with sandy-buff and dusky cross-lines 
ear-coverts dusky blackish ; no black on the forehead • under- 
pat ts white, freckled with narrow dusky lines on the chest. 
Range in Great Britain— A rare and occasional visitor to the 
southern and eastern counties of England. Two instances of 
its breeding near Freshwater, in the Isle of Wight, are apparently 
well established It has occurred as far west as Cornwall and 
as far north as Northumberland and Cumberland, but there are 
no Scotch or Irish records. 
Range ontside tie British Islands A summer visitor throughout 
nf e tlfI e M e H> art ° f Eur °P e > bein S ver >’ common in the countries 
of the Mediterranean. It ranges as high north as the Baltic 
and the valley of the Vistula, and it is found as far to the east- 
wardas the Caucasus and Western Persia, and occurs frequently 
m Asia Minor, Greece, and Palestine. Its winter home lies in 
North-eastern Africa and in Senegambia, and the bird pro- 
bably migrates to a certain extent across the Sahara. It does 
not follow the usual route of migration down the Nile Valiev 
so far south as the Red-backed Shrike, as the Woodchat is not 
found in Southern Africa at all, and is replaced on the west 
coast of Africa by a distinct species, L. rut Hans 
Halits Resemble those of other Shrikes, feeding largely on 
insects, especially grasshoppers and beetles. The note is said 
to be a harsh kraii kack krah, but, according to Mr. Howard 
Saunders, the male has a low and rather pretty song in sprint 
and shows great capacity for imitating the notes of other birds’ 
the Woodchat is a very conspicuous object in the countries it 
frequents, its white breast being easily seen, as it sits on the top- 
most twig of a bush or tree, on which it mounts guard. It is said 
to display great affection for its young. Mr. Seebohm write, • 
In Greece and Asia Minor I found the Woodchat very com - 
mon. With the exception of the Black-headed Buntino- 1 found 
more of its nests than those of any other bird. It is only a 
