322 LANIID^. 



The same pair of birds built another nest a few days later, on 18th 

 July, ^nthin ten yards of the tree from which the other nest was 

 taken, laying five eggs. 



" I found other nests at Deesa on the follo^v^ng dates : — 

 " July 2nd. A nest containing 4 incubated eggs. 

 „ 7th. „ „ 2 fresh eggs. 



„ 8th. „ „ 4 



„ 9th. ,, „ 2 „ 



„ 10th. „ „ 5 



„ 10th. „ „ 4 



Aug. 9th. „ „ 3 ,, 



" I found many other nests in the same neighbourhood contain- 

 ing young birds during the last week of July." 



Regarding the llufous-backed Shrike, Mr. Benjamin Aitken has 

 sent me the subjoined interesting note :— " This Shrike makes its 

 appearance in Bombay regularly during the last week of September, 

 and announces its arrival by loud cries for the first few days, till 

 it has made itself at home in the new neighbourhood ; after which 

 it spends nearly the whole of its days on a fa\'ourite perch, darting 

 down on every insect that appears within a radius of thirty yards. 

 It pursues this occupation with a system and perseverance to 

 which L. lahtora makes but a small approach. When its stomach 

 is full, it enhvens the weary hours with the nearest semblance to 

 a song of which its vocal organs are capable ; for while many 

 human bipeds have a good voice but no ear, the L. eri/tJirouotus 

 has an excellent ear but a voice that no modulation will make 

 tolerable. It remains in Bombay till towards the end of I'ebruary, 

 and then suddenly becomes restless and quarrelsome, making as 

 much ado as the Koel in June, and then taking its departure, for 

 what part of the world I do not know. This I know, that from 

 March to August there is never a Eufous-backed Shrike in 



Bombay. 



"The Eufous-backed Shrike, though not so large as the Grey 

 Shrike, is a much bolder and fiercer bird. It will come down at 

 once to a cage of small birds exposed at a windoAV, and I once had 

 an Amadavat killed and partly eaten through the Avires by one of 

 these Shrikes, which I saw in the act with my owii eyes. The 

 next day I caught the Shrike in a large basket which I set over 

 the cage of Amadavats. On another occasion I exposed a rat in a 

 cage for the purpose of attracting a Ha^k, and in a few minutes 

 found a L. erythronotus fiercely attacking the cage on all sides. I 

 once canght one alive and kept it for some time. As soon as it 

 found itself safely enclosed in the cage, it scorned to show any 

 fear, and the third day took food from my hand. It was very 

 fond of bathing, and was a handsome and interesting pet." 



Messrs. Davidson and Wenden remark : — " Very common in 

 Satara ; breeding freely in beginning of the rains ; observed at 

 Lanoli. liare in the Sholapoor District and does not appear to 

 breed there." And the former gentleman, writing of Western 



