488 LANIIN^. 



of three orders, not circularly disposed however, which birds 

 can never with truth be, as they have affinities not in two, but 

 in twenty directions. With this ternary commencement it 

 will by no means be difficult to find other ternary groups to 

 agree analogically, so that a beautiful system of nine orders 

 will arise, each order divided into three suborders, the latter 

 into as many nations, tribes, families, genera, and species. 

 Such an arrangement would be much more symmetrical than 

 one of fives, and could be easily elaborated without the neces- 

 sity of risking so temerariously the respectability of the scheme 

 by alleging that a bird like Gypogeranus is a rasorial eagle, or 

 Khynchaea a rasorial snipe. 



SYNOPSIS OF THE BRITISH GENERA AND SPECIES. 



GENUS I. LANIUS. SHRIKE. 



Bill short or of moderate length, stout, broad at the base, com- 

 pressed toward the end ; upper mandible with a large tooth-like 

 process on each side, and a narrow decurved tip ; head large, 

 roundish ; legs of moderate length ; tarsus rather short, com- 

 pressed, with seven anterior scutella ; hind toe rather stout, 

 lateral toes nearly equal ; claws arched, compressed, acute ; 

 plumage blended ; bristles stiff; wings of ordinary length, with 

 the first quill very short, the fourth longest ; tail long, graduated 

 or rounded. 



1. Laniiis Excuhitor. Great Cinereous Shrike. Ash-grey 

 above, white beneath ; quills black, with their bases white. 



2. Lanius rufus. Woodchat Shrike. Upper parts variegated 

 with black, white, and red ; lower white. Female with the 

 colours duller, the breast with transverse brownish lines. 



3. Lanius Collurio. Med-hacked Shrike. Back and wing- 

 coverts brownish-red, upper parts of head, hind-neck, and rump 

 ash-grey ; breast and sides rose coloured. Female with the 

 colours duller, the lower parts greyish-white undulated with 

 dusky. 



