330 
ON SAFARI 
extremely late in reaching England this year, but arrived in 
markedly smaller numbers than I ever before remember. Thus 
the Willow-Warblers (and Sand-Martins also) failed to appear 
in Northumberland till May 1—the former a fortnight, the 
latter a month, overdue. No Spotted Flycatchers showed up 
in my garden at Houxty till May 11; while Sedge-Warblers 
and Tree-Pipits came together four days later—all long past 
their customary dates. The paucity of their numbers this year 
was also equally marked. The diminution in each of the four 
specific cases could certainly not be estimated at less than a full 
half: while as regards others of our summer-war biers, especially 
Whinchats, the apparent loss mounted up to quite two-thirds of 
their normal numbers. 
The subject is more fully treated in my Bird-life of the 
Borders on Moorland and Sea (Second Edition), and a possible 
explanation of such phenomena will be found suggested at 
pp. 125 et seq. I venture to hope that every field-naturalist will 
have read that work—and in no sense of paltry profit to me, 
but solely for his own benefit and enjoyment. 
Shrikes 
In Europe we have but five or six species, while Africa 
boasts a dozen genera—a few of which may be mentioned 
here— 
Lanins. An overflow from Europe. Our British Red-backed 
Shrike (Z. collurio ) occurs right through Africa in winter 
as far south as Gazaland (inland of Delagoa Bay), and 
has been recorded from Ruwenzori and elsewhere in 
British East Africa. Mr. Jackson writes: “Very plenti¬ 
ful in Rift Valley in March and early April.” The 
Lesser Grey Shrike (Z. minor) also visits Africa in 
winter; but that continent only possesses one Lanius of 
its own—Z. mackinnoni. 
Laniarius. An exclusively African genus, including a dozen or 
more species, none of which I met with. 
Bush-Shrikes— Dryoscopus. Also purely African, numbering 
about twenty species. D. nandensis , one of the many new 
species discovered in East Africa by Mr. Jackson, is 
figured at p. 174, from the plate in Ibis, 1901, p. 41. 
