228 



Subfamily IV. LANIINJE. 



Plumage lax and never gorgeous, without cither red, green, or 

 blue. Bill strong and stout, laterally slightly compressed ; culmen 

 bent and ending in a hook, and -with a conspicuous, always well 

 developed tooth. Nostrils half covered with feathers and bristles ; 

 rictal bristles present ; the nostrils non-operculutcd, in front of a 

 slight groove, which, as a rule, is completely ossified. Tail graduated 

 or square. First primary always present, but variable in length ; tip 

 of wing chiefly formed by third, fourth (fifth) primaries ; secondaries 

 about four fifths or less of length of whole wing. No crest. 



Young birds with cross markings to the feathers. Sexes, with 

 few exceptions, alike in plumage. 



Patearctic, Nearctic, Indian, and African regions. 



Key to the Genera. 



a. Feathers of crown and neck lanceolated ; 



tail more than double the length of the 



wings 19. Uholestes, p. 2i'8. 



h. Feathers of crown and neck of ordinary 



shape ; tail equal to wings, or somewhat 



longer (not exceeding wings by half of 



theu- length). 



, -ni n. A • u ^ M- (21. COEVUTELLA, p. 2-31 



a . Plumao:e never spotted m the adult . . s o.-> t ^^„ oo.-f » 

 ° ^ ( z2. liAMUS, p. 262 . 



b'. Plumage spotted 20. Laniellus, p. 230. 



ly. UROLESTES. 



Type. 

 Basanistes, Licht. Verz. Siiur/. u. Vog. Kaffernland, 



p. 12 (1842), nee Bunn. 1836 U. melanoleucus. 



Urolestes, Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 75 (1850) U. melanoleucus. 



Bill like that of Lanius. Nostrils round, ossified, covered by 

 bristles ; rictal bristles very well developed. First primary more 

 than half the second; tip of wing formed by third, fourth (fifth) 

 primaries ; secondaries short, only little more than three fourths of 

 length of whole wing. Tail much graduated, the central pair of 

 feathers excessively long and more than double the length of the 

 wing. Tarsus anteriorly covered with transverse scales. AU the 

 feathers of the head and neck lanceolate in shape. 



Sexes alike in plumage, which is only black and white. 



The feathers of the sides of the breast, covering the flanks, are 

 very long and fluffy (being apparently ornamental). 



Closely allied to the Fisa(s-gro\iY> of Lanius. 



Range. Africa. 



* Corvinclla is perhaps only subgenericaUy distinct from Lanius, approachiug 

 Urolestes in some respects. 



