It breeds commonly over most of Europe, throughout France, Germany, and Russia, but is scarce along the countries bordering the North Sea. The nest is suspended from the fork of a branch of some tree, usually in woods, and is a carefully woven structure of strips of bark and grass stems. The eggs are white with a few large black spots. The male is golden yellow all over, except for the quills, wing coverts, and lores, which are black. The central pair of tail feathers are black, all the rest being black with yellow tips. Bill red. Legs lead grey. The female is greenish yellow and has the under parts striated with greyish. The young is still duller in colour than the female. Length 9·5 in.; wing 6 in. THE GREAT GREY SHRIKE Lanius excubitor, Linnæus Every autumn towards the end of October a certain number of these birds regularly visit us, occurring more commonly on our eastern coasts, but having nevertheless been taken in most of our counties. In habits it resembles its small congener the Red-backed Shrike, and may be seen sitting on some point of vantage from which it may dash off to attack its unsuspecting victims. This species, or various races of it, breed throughout Northern and Central Europe and Asia. It migrates on the approach of winter from the more northerly quarters, but its wanderings rarely extend to the shores of the Mediterranean. The male is pearl grey in general colour, lighter on the scapulars; forehead and a line over each eye white; lores and ear coverts black. Wings black, with white tips and bases to the secondaries and inner primaries. Tail feathers black with white tips, except the outermost, which are pure white. Under parts white. Bill and legs black. Length 9·5 in.; wing 4·3 in. Female duller with faint greyish bars on the under parts. THE LESSER GREY SHRIKE Lanius minor, J. F. Gmelin The main home of this species, of which only a few examples on migration have been taken in this country, is South and Central Europe as far west as the valley of the Rhone. In habits it does not differ from its congeners, and is excessively savage and pugnacious, especially during the nesting season. It roughly resembles the preceding species in plumage, but may be distinguished by its smaller size, black forehead, and the white bases to the tail feathers and primaries, which latter form a broad bar. An unfailing characteristic, however, of this species, distinguishing it from all other Shrikes, is the wing formula; the first or bastard primary being very short, while the second nearly equals the third and longest primary. Length 8·5 in.; wing 4·6 in. THE RED-BACKED SHRIKE Lanius collurio, Linnæus