82 BIRDS OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA 



and breast pinkish grey, middle of abdomen white, flanks light 

 brown, under tail coverts black. Bill dark yellow. Legs and feet 

 black. Wing 59-62. Tail 80-87. Tarsus 21-22. Bill 7-5. 

 $ Crown dull brown, no moustachial stripe, back reddish 

 brown with some broad black streaks (also occasionally on 

 crown) ; beneath paler than in ^ and under tail coverts fawn 

 like flanks. Wing 55-62. Young are like 9 but more streaked 

 with black above. 



Resident. — England (local), Holland, Belgium, W. and C. 

 Germany ; S. Europe from E. Spain through S. France and Italy 

 to Greece. 



P. biarmicus russicus (Brehm). $ much paler, especially 

 on back ; upper tail coverts pink tinged. $ very pale, no black 

 streaks on back. 



Residcjit. — Hungary, E. Galicia, Rumania, Bulgaria and 

 S. Russia to Volga Delta and Caucasus and on through Asia 

 to Manchuria. 



LANIID-^— Shrikes. 



Bill powerful, hooked; upper mandible toothed; nostrils 

 rounded, no operculum. 



Lanius. 



Plumage of young above and below with wavy lines; these 

 persist in many of females ; perch in exposed positions ; have 

 the habit of impaling prey on thorns ; cup nest in bushes, 

 etc. ; eggs white, varying to buff or pale green, spotted with 

 brown of various shades, often in a zone. 



Lanius minor Gmelin. Lesser Grey Shrike. Fr. Pie- 

 grieche d'ltalie ; Ger. Kleiner Wiirger ; Ital. Averla cenerina. 



^ $ adult. Above light grey ; forehead and a band from 

 lores to ear coverts black ; wings black, primaries white at base, 

 showing a speculum, ist primary short, about as long as primary 

 coverts ; tail, two central pairs feathers black with white bases, 

 remainder increasingly white to outer pairs, which are generally 

 entirely white (shafts black) ; beneath white, breast, abdomen, 

 and flanks tinged rosy colour. Bill, legs and feet black. 



