( 399 ) 



webs, about 40 mm. wide, thus occupying tlie basal half of the feathers. Secondaries 

 with wide white edges to the inner webs, and with white tips about 7 mm. wide, of 

 equal width, across both webs. Inner secondaries entirely black to the base, with 

 white tips of about 1 to 1'5 mm. Lores and usual laniine black markings on sides 

 of head pure black. Under-surface white, sides of breast tinged with grey. Two 

 outer rectrices white with black shafts. Third rectrix black with outer web and tip 

 of inner web white for 21 mm., the black running up along the shaft, in a narrow 

 line, nearly to the tip. Fourth rectrix black, with tip white for about 10 mm. Fifth 

 rectrix black, with tip about 2 — 3 mm. white, sixth entirely lilack. Asillaries and 

 under wing-coverts white, only the under primary coverts greyish. Wing about 

 114, tail 117, outer pair 28 mm. shorter, bill 17 mm. 



2. Adult bird, mounted; on label: " L. aucheri (Bp.) Type. M. Aucher-Eloy, 

 Perse. 10018 D." Like No. 1, upper surface equally grey, rump as grey as back. 

 Narrow black frontal line only 1-5 mm. wide. Size smaller, bill larger. Wing 105, 

 tail 110, gradation 33, bill 17'5 mm. Scapulars complete, therefore with a distinct 

 white line. Tail differently marked : Outer pair with white outer web, inner web 

 black at base, tip white for 40 mm. Second pair similar, but tip only white for 

 34 mm. Third pair, outer web white at tij), towards base only with white outer edge, 

 inner web black, tip white for about 19 mm. Fourth pair black, tip white for 10 mm., 

 fifth with narrow white tip as in No. 1, sixth entirely black. For further description, 

 diiferences between pnUidirostris and aucheri, and the somewhat puzzling dis- 

 tribution, I must refer to my forthcoming book, Part IV. 



In 1905 Mr. Grant independently discovered that two different grey Shrikes 

 were found in South Arabia. He named the dark form Lanius arabicus (Bull. 

 B. 0. C. XV. p. 78, May 1905). Unfortunately, however, this same dark form was 

 already described as Lanius huryi by Lorenz and Hellmayr (J.f.O. 1901. p. 238). 

 The mistake which Mr. Grant made in renaming L. huryi — a name which he had 

 placed as a synonym under his L. 'pallidirostris (\\. 459) — was entirely due to his 

 unhappy method of separating his species principally by the markings of the tail and 

 wings. How variable these are is shown by the accompanying figures. If the general 

 appearance — in this case the dark colour of the upper and under surface — combined 

 with the distribution is taken into consideration, huryi (= arabicus) is easily 

 distinguished. We know two grey Shrikes to be common in S. Arabia ; L. exc. 

 auclieri {= fallax) and L. exc. huryi. Probably the latter is the breeding race, 

 replacing the commoner migratory aucheri as a resident. Under this assumption I 

 decided to regard huryi also as a subspecies of excubitor. 



For my reasons for keeping separate from the excubitor group the long-tailed 

 .Hphenocercus and giganteus I must refer to my book. Part IV. 



Under Lanius ludovicianus Mr. Grant unites not less than six forms dis- 

 tinguished by American authors (cf. Kidgway, B. North and Middle Anier. iii. 

 pp. 235-52). I have not had the opportunity of studying very good series of all of 

 these forms, but from what I have seen I am convinced that it is impossible to unite 

 them all, and I do not quite see why they should be united by Mr. Grant, when he 

 separates so many North African and European forms. It seems to me that mearnsi 

 and anthonyi are the same, but that the other four forms are fairly well separable 

 from ludovicianus. All these forms are considerably smaller than L. excubitw 

 horealis, which lives farther to the north than any of them, but otherwise they do not 

 differ in any essential characters. I am therefore of the opinion that they should 

 all be treated as subspecies of L. excubitor. 



2G 



