WOODCHAT SHRIKE, 503 



the body being moderately stout, the neck short, the head ovate; 

 the bill short, stout, compressed toward the end, its outlines 

 convex, the tip of the upper mandible deflected and acute, that 

 of the lower reflected and also acute, the notch and dentiform 

 process of the former distinct, and the gape-line slightly arched. 

 The feet are rather small ; the tarsus slender, compressed, with 

 seven anterior scutella ; the first toe with eight, the second 

 with ten, the third twelve, the fourth also twelve scutella. 



The plumage is soft and blended. There are five strong 

 bristle-feathers at the base of the upper mandible on each side. 

 The wings are of moderate length ; the first quill nearly half 

 the length of the second, which is a quarter of an inch 

 shorter than the third, the latter being the longest feather iu the 

 wing, the second equal to the fifth. The tail is long, straight, 

 and much rounded or graduated, the lateral feathers being 

 half an inch shorter than the longest. 



The bill is black, as are the feet and claws. The upper part 

 of the head and the hind-neck are brownish-red, the anterior 

 part of the back black, the hind part gi'ey. The wing-coverts 

 and quills are black, the bases of the primaries white, as are 

 the outer scapulars, and the tips of the secondaries. The tail- 

 feathers are black, their bases and tips w^hite, that colour in- 

 creasing outwards so as to cover the whole of the outer feather 

 excepting a part of the shaft. A broad black band extends 

 from the forehead over the loral space, includes both eylids, 

 enlarges on the ear-coverts, and terminates behind them. On 

 its lower margin before the eye is a narrow white stripe. The 

 lower parts are pure white. 



Length to end of tail 7/j inches ; bill along the ridge {%, 

 along the edge of lower mandible {^ ; wing from flexure S{^ ; 

 tail Sj2 i tarsus {^ ; first toe j^^, its claw ^% ; second toe j*g, 

 its claw ^2 ; third toe ^^|, its claw j% ; fourth toe j%, its 

 claw /g. 



Female. — The female has the upper part of the head and 

 the hind-neck dull brownish-red ; the black of the back tinged 

 with brown ; the rump brownish-grey, transversely barred 

 with brown ; the wings and tail brownish-black, with the white 

 markings less extended and tinged with brown. The baud on 



