210 Sir W. Jardine's Descriptions of 



analogy with the more noble falcons ; wings rather powerful, 

 yet shewing, by the form and gra'dation of the quills, that they 

 are not adapted for either very rapid or lengthened flight ; the 

 tail lengthened, regularly graduated, and generally containing 

 twelve feathers, of which the centre two are longest. In the 

 species now before me, all these characters are very strongly 

 pourtrayed; the shrike-like form is developed to its utmost 

 extent, and, although I might be inclined to use this species as the 

 type of a new form among the LaniadcB^ were more assimilating 

 species known, I do not feel justified in separating it as an indi- 

 vidual. That which most nearly resembles it is the Lanius 

 corvinus ; but in this the strength of the bill is very inferior. It 

 also, at first sight, strongly reminded me of the Lanius Leverianus^ 

 {JBethyllus^ Cuv.) in the lengthened tail, and the pied plumage, 

 with the sharp and lengthened form of the feathers on the head 

 and neck, a peculiarity not met with in the true Lanii, where the 

 whole plumage is rather soft and downy. At a little distance, and 

 when on the wing, it much resembles our common magpie, which 

 the manner of perching, and the motion of the tail, among the 

 shrikes, may tend to increase. As minute a description as 

 possible of this curious bird is subjoined, and I would anxiously 

 recommend the investigation of its habits to the ornithological 

 members of the South African Institution. 



The entire length of the skin is eighteen inches and a half, of 

 which the tail measures twelve inches ; the bill is strong, and 

 bending towards the tip, with the notch very prominent ; the 

 head, neck, back, under parts, and tail, rich glossy black ; the 

 feathers on the head, neck, throat, and upper part of the breast, 

 rather lengthened, of a pointed or hackled form, like those of 

 the common starling ; on the upper parts, they are glossed with 

 green, on the throat, and fore part of the breast, with a coppery 

 or purplish lustre ; the rump is grayish white, which extends 

 also upon the sides, and under the wings, where one half of 

 some of the webs are black, giving a streaked or dashed appear- 

 ance of black and white ; the feathers on the sides are more 

 than usually elongated and puffy ; the scapulars are pure white, 

 and join the gray feathers of the rump when the wings are 

 closed, forming, as it were, a crescent-shaped band across the 

 body ; the secondaries are black with white tips ; the quills are 

 also black, the tips with a white spot, commencing upon the 

 third, and increasing in size, with the progression of the quills ; 

 at the base, they are crossed with a white bar of about an inch 

 and a half in length, which extends over both webs, except in 

 the first, where it is confined to the inner one. The tail consists 

 of twelve feathers ; the ten first gradually progressing in length, 

 at the rate of about one inch and a quarter ; the eleventh and 

 twelfth, or outer ones, exceed the rest by three inches and a 

 half; the four longest feathers are hollow underneath, and, when 

 the' tail is closed, lie entirely over each other, covering the rest, 



