506 LANIUS COLLURIO. 



the tip of the lower mandible a little reflected, and the gape- 

 line slightly arched. The feet are rather small ; the first toe 

 with eight, the second with ten, the third twelve, the fourth 

 twelve scutella ; the toes very slender ; the claws of moderate 

 length, arched, slender and sharp pointed. 



The plumage is soft and blended ; the bristle-feathers at the 

 base of the upper mandible small. The wings of moderate 

 length ; the first quill one-third of the length of the second, 

 which is three-twelfths of an inch shorter than the third, and 

 one-twelfth longer than the fifth, the third longest. The tail 

 is long, straight, slightly emarginate, and considerably rounded, 

 the middle feathers being one-twelfth of an inch shorter than 

 the next, and the latter four-twelfths shorter than the longest. 



The bill and feet are black ; the irides brown. The upper 

 part of the head and the neck are ash-grey ; the back, scapu- 

 lars, and wing-coverts brownish-red, the rump shaded with 

 ash-grey ; the quills dusky, with brownish-red margins ; most 

 of the primaries having also a white patch at the base, of which 

 scarcely any is perceptible without removing their coverts. 

 The two middle feathers of the tail, and the terminal third, 

 with the shafts of all the rest, brownish-black, the remaining 

 parts w^hite ; excepting the two middle, they are also termin- 

 ally margined with white. A broad band of brownish-black 

 from the bill to the eye, margining both eyelids, and extending 

 to behind the ear. The fore part of the neck and the abdomen 

 are white ; the lower part of the former, the breast and sides, 

 tinged with rose-colour; the lower wing-coverts and tail- 

 coverts white ; the tibial feathers dusky. 



Length to end of tail 7^ inches; extent of wings 12; wing 

 from flexure 3^^ ; tail 8/g ; bill along the ridge |*g ; along 

 the edge of lower mandible j^ ; tarsus { g ; first toe ^^■^, its 

 claw j% ; second toe j^, its claw /| ; third toe |^2, its claw 

 3^1 ; fourth toe i^^, its claw y|. 



Female. — The female diflfers considerably in colour. The 

 bill is dark brown above, paler beneath. The upper parts are 

 of a dull reddish-brown tint, the hind-neck and rump tinged 

 with ash-grey, the tail of a more dingy brown, and faintly 



