26 BIRDS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



with a patch of white on the centre of the primaries, and a 

 small edging of the same colour on the three or four inner 

 secondaries. The strong notched and hooked bill, the lores^ 

 and a narrow oval patch extending beyond the eye, are 

 jet black, and the under parts white, with a faint tinge of 

 buff on the breast and belly. The legs and feet are dark 

 slate. The length of the bird is about 10 inches, of which 

 the tail measures 3. 



Red-Backed Shrike. — This is a handsomer bird than 

 the last. The top of the head is lavender grey ; the back 

 chestnut brown, changing to grey on the upper tail coverts. 

 The tail is blackish brown inside, but the outer feathers 

 have their basal ends white. The bill is strongly hooked 

 and black, a narrow black line runs round its base, and, 

 crossing the eye, extends beyond it into a broad patch over 

 and a little further back than the ear coverts ; the sides of 

 the neck and of the body are pale, ruddy chestnut ; and the 

 throat, breast, and belly whitish grey : the legs and feet 

 are greyish black. Length, 7^ inches, of which the tail 

 measures nearly 3. 



WooDCHAT. — This bird, which is of rare occurrence in 

 Britain, has a narrow white line at the base of the upper 

 mandible, followed as far as the e3^e, surrounding the 

 latter and extending along the sides of the neck, where it 

 •expands into a large patch on the upper part of the back, 

 by a band of intense black. The lower back, rump, and 

 upper tail coverts grey ; the wings are brown, with a white 

 spot on the centre of the outer primaries, and a white band 

 on the lesser coverts. The under parts are white, with a 

 ruddy tinge, fading to grey at the vent. The two middle 

 tail feathers black, the next three grey blue, and the re- 

 mainder white. The bill is grey, and the legs and feet a 

 darker shade of the same colour. Length, 7^ inches. 



In the case of all these birds the female is larger than 



