JGoaltb k/SCBicklerdtb es Jäh/
LAN1US EX
Great (if*')
Lanius excubitor, Linn. Faun. Suee., p. 27.
_—■— cinemts, Leach. Syst. Cat. of Indig. Maram. and Bw-.t
— :— major, Brehm, Vög. Deutschl., p. 282.
T h o s e of my readers who have travelled over the long strmskt J
» the days o f the “ Eisenbahu ” and “ cherain de fer,” must have fi
perched on an exposed branch of a moaiitain-ash, an apple,, or a wabmt-tm-
scanned the open flat fields, have observed such a bird Kitting upright
remarked that, as they approached, it flew off'to the next tree, ami \v* thcrippM
nable straight road it flitted before them for perhaps a mile, and then, cafe«« fc
turned back again to the point whence it started. This was the Great Grey St-..
neither common nor scarce, and which, if not intruded upon, remains in the an
confines itself to the same branch for days together Hence it sallies forth to MfMn
mouse, or shrew, o r to make a foray among the branches of the neighbouring trees w
Tits or any other small birds it can master. While perched, the solitary Butcberbt«
side to side, sometimes uttering its own harsh cry, at others obscurely imitating the >
Along the thor uy-h edge-bordered roads of this country, as along the lengthened bnr*
on the continent, the bird exhibits the same habits and actions, which, while they art
other Shrikes, are both peculiar and different from those o f aU other s!$a!! biru*. r ccg-
Grey Shrike take up its abode in the low trees of a copse, a cluster authors*, m «}«•m
o f a pleasure-ground, and there remain, if unmolested, until nature
for breeding in. The Duke of Argyll informs me that om- took u p h '*»«"*
grounds of his seat a t lnverary, and, as usual, became the terror « •
I do n o t ventiire to affirm that this bird never breeds in *h$ Rririjd» h
of the nests brought to the metropolis as those of this »pee*«» arr
authentic instances of its passing the summer and- breeding «¡th m ; and ¡3
opinion, be regarded as an occasional visitor rather than as a *pc*»r* ,
a district in the three kingdoms that has not at one time or another been
sence. Formerly it was considered to be identical with the Lanius bormiis of A»*«-
I believe, co rrect; and naturalists now consider the area o f its range to be limit«! to i
western portions of Europe, Morocco, and Algeria. In India it is certainly not found ,
supplied by the Lanius lahtoro. Considerable difference occurs in the colouring o f Non
Swiss examples * the latter are much lighter in the general tone of colour, and have tin
^capillaries much more distinct than the others. On the other hand, Lapland specim
three from Quickioek now before me, are particularly dark in Iheir colouring. No
ventured to regard them as two species; and I shall content myself with bavin
differences. I am not aware that the distinctive markings of the sexes have been H
■ i f tbey have not, the following particulars cannot fail to be of interest. Main
ike in plumage; but the female may be at all times distinguished by her being rather 1
bv her having a few or many crescentic marks of grey, varying in intensity, on the <
portion o f the flank-feathers, by having a single white speculum a t the base of the ;
three outer tail-feathers on each side being tipped with white, the white on the outer*
base of its external web; while the male has two white spots on the wing, one at the Ii
and another a t the base o f the secondaries, forming a double speculum, and iwwow
tail-feathers ou each side wholly white,, with the exception of a narrow line of black do*
of the shaft.
.<This species,” says Macgillivray, “ preys upon insects o f various kinds, frogs, h*
quadrupeds, which, after killing them by repeated blows of its bill, generally inffirw
affixes to a thorn, or jams into the fork of a branch, that it may be enabled to tear
morsels. Sometimes, however, it stands upon its prey, like a Hawk, keeping
while it breaks it up, and not bestowing much care in clearing it o f the hair o r 1
the undigested parts o f insects, it afterwards ejects in pellets. What remain*
hangs u p ; and this habit, together with its slaugbtering-propensity, has obtained
writer