Viscount WalJcn on the Rufous-tailed Shrikes. 215 



This species has been confounded with one or other of the 

 three following birds. 



2. Lanius lucionensis, Linn., S, N. ed. xii. (1766) i. p. 135. 

 no, 10. Briss., Oru. 1760, ii. p. 169. no. 11, pi. xviii. fig. 1 

 (exLucon). Gm., S. N. ed. xiii. (1788) i. p. 299. no. 10. Lath., 

 Syn. i. p. 172. no. 21 ; lud. Orn. i. p. 67. no. 5 ; G. H. ii. 

 p. 55. no. 57. Swinh., Ibis, 1860, p. 59. no. 70; Ibis, 1861, 

 p. 43. no. 68, p. 255. no. 7, and p. 340. no. 47; Ibis, 1863, 

 p. 272. no. 31. Von Martens, J. f. 0. 1866, p. 12. no. 46. 



Lanius phcenicurus, Gm., v. Pelzeln, Reise der Novara, Zool. 

 Th. i. p. 84 (ex China, Anioy). 



Otomela lucionensis (Linn.), Bp., Rev. de Zool. 1853, p. 437. 

 no. 29. 



Brisson described this species from specimens of what seem 

 to have been the female, brought by Poivre from the island of 

 Luzon ; and Linnseus adopted his designation. It has since, by 

 some authors, been regarded as a local variety of L. cristatus, 

 Linn. Yet, on comparing Indian with Philippine and Chinese ex- 

 amples, they are found to differ in many respects, more especially 

 in the almost entire absence of rufous, in the cinereous colouring 

 of the head, back of neck, and back, and in the much shorter 

 tail, combined with an almost equal wing. It seems to wear the 

 grey livery at all seasons ; and no diflFerence of sexual garb has 

 been recorded. It migrates to North China during the spring, 

 and returns south to the Philippines at the close of summer, 

 many in their passage resting in Formosa, and some, according 

 to Mr. Swinhoe's latest observations (/. c), passing the winter in 

 that island. Mr. Swinhoe says that it has a sweet song, and he 

 mentions that it is a common spring and autumn visitant at 

 Amoy. He also observed it passing over at Hong Kong in the 

 spring, and found it at Talien Bay, North China, during the 

 end of June, where it, however, became much scarcer towards 

 the middle of July. Between Takoo and Pekin it was not ob- 

 served during the months commencing with August and ending 

 with December, which Mr. Swinhoe accounts for by the early 

 period of its southern migration. 



On the authority of Mr. Blyth (Mouat, 'Andamans,^ 1863, 

 App. Zool. pp. 352, 360. no. 31), I, with some doubt, refer the 



