186 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



neighbouring tree, and altliougli I ran to the rescue, it was of 

 no avail, the prize being borne away from tree to tree until 

 the tyrant paid the forfeit of his life by being shot for his 

 temerity. 



The male has the crown of the head, ear-coverts, and back of 

 the neck black ; a white mark from the base of the bill to the 

 eye ; back and rump dark greyish brown ; upper tail-coverts 

 white ; wings blackish brown ; the middle secondaries white 

 along their outer edges ; tail black, all the feathers except the 

 two middle ones tipped with white on their inner webs ; 

 under surface greyish white; bill bluish lead-colour at the 

 base, passing into black at the tip ; feet blackish lead-colour ; 

 irides very dark reddish brown. 



The female resembles the male, but is more obscure in all 

 her markings ; and the young differ in being clothed in a 

 plumage of mottled tawny and brown. 



Sp. 100. CRACTICUS CINEREUS, Gould. 



Cinereous Crow-Shrike. 



Vanga cinerea, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part iv. p. 143. — Syn. 



Birds of Australia, part i. fig. of head. 

 Bulastes cinereus, Cab. Mus. Hein. Theil i. p. 66, note. 



Cracticus cinereus, Gould, Birds of Australia, vol. i. Introd. 



p. XXXV. 



Inhabits Tasmania, and may be distinguished from C. 

 torquatus by its much longer bill, and, when fully adult, by 

 its grey back. 



By some ornithologists this bird may be considered only a 

 local variety of C. torquatus, but I did not fail to notice that the 

 two birds appeared very different in their respective countries, 

 and ornithologists will observe on examination that a marked 

 difference occurs in individuals from Tasmania and New 

 South Wales. I will not, however, affirm that this bird is 

 confined to Tasmania, for I have lately received evidence of 



