GREAT CINEREOUS SHRIKE. 501 



Progress toward Maturity. — As the bird advances in age 

 the upper parts become of a purer grey ; the lower white, but 

 seldom entirely destitute of faint traces of the tran'sverse lines ; 

 the lateral band on the head blacker, and the wings and tail of 

 a deeper tint. The males after the first moult resemble the 

 adult females. 



Remarks. — Several species are very closely allied to the 

 present. Lanius meridionalis differs merely in being a little 

 larger, in having the grey of the upper parts of a deeper tint, 

 and the fore-neck and breast tinged with purplish-red. An 

 American species, Lanius borealis, which has by many authors 

 been confounded with Lanius Excubitor, may be distinguished 

 by its greater size, by having the white on the wings and tail 

 less extended, the bases of the primaries only, not of the secon- 

 daries, being of that colour. Even the Loggerheaded Shrike, 

 Lanius ludovicianus, is not readily distinguished, although it 

 possesses distinctive characters, among others the want of 

 white at the base of the secondaries. Mr Selby's figure of 

 Lanius Excubitor wants this white patch on the base of the 

 secondary quills, it being represented only on the primary, 

 and therefore may belong to Lanius borealis or Lanius lu- 

 dovicianus. The same error has been committed by Mr 

 Gould, in his figures of both Lanius meridionalis and Lanius 

 Excubitor. Having examined the bird in a fresh state as 

 well as stuffed and in skin, I am qualified to say that when 

 the wing is closed, as represented by these authors, two con- 

 tiguous patches of white are seen, one on the bases of the 

 primaries, the other at those of the secondaries. Fig. 250. 



All the species above mentioned vary considerably in sum- 

 mer, the lower parts being then of a purer white, the trans- 

 verse lines entirely wanting, the tips of the feathers being worn 

 off, the upper parts paler, the wings and tail more browned, 

 and the white on the tips of the quills and tail-feathers more or 

 less obliterated by wearing, so that many of these feathers arc 

 black at the end ; and the difference appears very striking when 

 new feathers are coming in among the old. 



