56 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF 



open places in woods. Nothing appears to be known 

 respecting the pairing habits of this species, or whether 

 it is in the habit of returning yearly to a particular spot 

 to breed, as the Red-backed Shrike invariably does. 

 The nest is placed in trees, either evergreens or decidu- 

 ous, usually in a fork of a large tree or at the summit of 

 a small one. It is large, bulky, and cup-shaped, composed 

 externally of dead twigs, dry grass, roots, and stalks of 

 plants, lined with finer roots, wool, hair, and feathers, 

 the lining material depending a good deal on what 

 may chance to be available, but always of some soft 

 substance. This Shrike is a close sitter, even before 

 incubation has actually commenced, and when disturbed 

 frequently flies about from tree to tree in the vicinity, 

 and shows much solicitude for its nest. It is bold 

 enough in driving off predaceous birds from the spot. 



Range of egg colouration and measurement : 

 The eggs of the Great Gray Shrike are from five to 

 seven in number. They vary from bufiish-white to the 

 palest of green in ground colour, spotted, blotched, and 

 speckled with olive-brown, and with underlying mark- 

 ings of lilac-gray. As a rule most of the surface spots, 

 which vary from light to dark brown, are on the largest 

 end of the Q.^%, are seldom very clearly defined, but 

 many are often confluent, and frequently form a zone. 

 I have never seen the red type of egg in this species. 

 Average measurement, ri inch in length by "8 inch in 

 breadth. Incubation, performed almost entirely by the 

 female; lasts fifteen or sixteen days. 



Diagnostic characters : The eggs of the Great 

 Gray Shrike are generally easily distinguished by their 

 size, but in all cases I would advise careful identification 

 at the nest. The nest and eggs might easily in some 

 districts be confused with those of Eaiiius leiicopterus, 

 and even more so with L. exaibitor major. 



