W. BICKEETON—BIEDS OBSEEVED IN 1901. 
143 
satisfied himself that it had not escaped from the Zoological Gardens, 
Regent’s Park, where there are four pinioned birds of the species. 
The Duke of Bedford and Mr. J. G. Millais, in reply to enquiries, 
stated that they were not aware of any of these birds having been 
turned out on artificial waters in this country. 
The evidence therefore points to the fact that this bird was 
a truly wild one, which had doubtless lost its way and wandered to 
this country. 
The following are observations of a few interesting species which 
have before been recorded for our county. 
Blackcap WAeblee (Sylvia atricapilla). — I am indebted to 
Mr. A. E. Gibbs for a most interesting record of a couple of female 
blackcap warblers which were seen during the bitterly cold weather 
of February, 1902, in a garden at St. Albans. Mr. Groves, of 
London Road, St. Albans, observed some “strange birds” which 
paid daily visits to his garden, and finally concluded that they were 
female blackcaps. His observations and conclusion were alike 
confirmed by other gentlemen who distinctly recognized the brown 
chestnut cap so characteristic of the female of this species. 
It would be unwise, I think, to refer this interesting record to an 
unusually early appearance of one of our Summer migrants, which 
does not appear as a rule until April. It is more satisfactory to 
conclude that these birds had passed the Winter with us. To 
include this record in my report for the year 1901 is not, therefore, 
so inappropriate as it might otherwise seem to he. 
Geeat Geet Sheike (Lanius excubitor ).—The following note 
appeared in the ‘ Herts Advertiser’ of the 9th of February, 1901 :— 
“ Last week, on the top of a small tree near Sandpit Lane and the 
Midland Railway, St. Albans, might have been seen, during several 
days, a fine specimen of the greater shrike (Lanius excubitor ), 
croaking forth his weird note. This bird is not supposed, by some 
writers, to breed in this country at all. It is an abnormal Winter 
visitor, and belongs to the tribe of butcher-birds, which derive 
their name from the habit they have of hanging their prey, young 
birds, frogs, etc., on the points of thorns, the object of the bird 
being, apparently, two-fold — first to secure the prey so that it 
may be more easily torn asunder, and secondly to preserve some¬ 
thing for the next meal.” The shrike, it was added, was a very 
handsome bird which allowed the observer “ to approach so near 
that the main features of his beautiful pearly grey plumage and 
black stripe across the eye could he seen quite distinctly.” 
Kesteel (Falco tinnunculus ).—The following, which I think 
is worthy of report, is taken from the correspondence column of 
‘Country Life’ for the 30th of November, 1901 :—“The other 
morning, about 8 o’clock, while I was cycling down a lane between 
Thornhill and Maplecross, a cloud of small birds came over the 
hedge on my right, passing all round me. At the same moment 
a kestrel swooped at them, not seeing me until he was quite close 
to my brown cap, when he screamed and tried to turn. I put up 
my hand to screen my face and either I caught him or he caught 
