File:A history of British birds. By the Rev. F.O. Morris (1862) (14749875884).jpg

Identifier: historyofbritish01morr (find matches)
Title: A history of British birds. By the Rev. F.O. Morris ..
Year: 1862 (1860s)
Authors: Morris, F. O. (Francis Orpen), 1810-1893
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: London, Groombridge and Sons
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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uncommon in the south of England,and occurs, though sparingly, towards the north. In York-shire it has been frequently seen in the West-Riding, beingmet with, as I am informed by Mr. Allis, senior, occasionallynear Huddersfield and York, not very uncommonly nearSheffield and Doncaster, (though I have never seen it nearthe latter place,) and he says that it breeds occasionally nearHalifax, but is becoming scarce. In Dorsetshire I have seenit as a common species; I have also seen it in Kent. It is found in Wiltshire, Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire,Suffolk, Derbyshire, Norfolk, Middlesex, and other southerncounties; occasionally in Northumberland, Cumberland, andDurham, and also in Wales; but has not as yet been observedin Ireland and Scotland, which is rather singular, as thelatitude of its European range is higher. It frequents hedge-rows principally, but also the sides ofcoppices and woods, and such a place as an old desertedquarry or lime-pit. It is seldom found among trees of large
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RED -BACKED SHRIK E. EED-CACKED SHRIKE. 183 growth, and is generally seen in pairs. Mr, Mudies accountof the locality of this species is one of the most extraordinaryof the many extraordinary ones he has promulgated. He saysthat though it is a short-winged bird, and therefore getsthrough the air with more labour than many of the birdswhich are found in the south-eastern part of the island; itleaves the gravelly and cla3^ey districts, and takes up itsabode in a central zone, beginning at the channel and termi-nating at the light soils. He has himself correctly describedthis as the most remarkable part of its natural history;—*the climate of that zone is warm, and the soil peculiarlyadapted to the habits of the larger beetles, which seem thenatural and peculiar food of these birds. He very properlyadds that the habits of the Red-backed Shrike deserve to bestudied. Its name of Flusher, he considers to be a corrup-tion of Flasher, from its looking like a flash of fire indarting through

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