of the B. M. Catalogue of Birds. 401 



north of the Atlas, so tliat the expressions Tunis, Algeria, 

 may mislead. However, it is admitted that "every inter- 

 mediate stage in coloration occurs between L. hemileucurus 

 and L. fallax ; " which being admitted, and the geographical 

 range being identical, the species we think may not un- 

 reasonably be called in question. L. assimilis, which seems 

 to me only an eastern race of L. hemileucurus, is stated to 

 have a most extraordinary habitat, viz., " Sennaar and the 

 White Nile, ranging through Turkestan to the Amoor/^ The 

 only authority for Sennaar and the White Nile is a solitary 

 purchased immature skin in the British Museum without 

 further history than " East Africa." We fear this is very 

 slender evidence for so exceptional a career. 



Again, on L. fallax, which has borne in turn no less than 

 six aliases, from all of which it is now excluded, we find 

 some remarks which may somewhat shake our confidence in 

 the soundness of . these diagnoses. L. fallax is stated to be 

 a paler race of L. aJgei'iensis, but differing in some minute 

 particulars. But, on the other hand, we have a species, L. 

 uncinatus, from Socotra, the distinguishing feature of which 

 is its strong and hooked bill. We find that a Palestine bird 

 has the bill just as much developed as the Socotran. 

 From this is drawn the inference that the Palestine birds 

 are intermediate between L. fallax and L. uncinatus. I do 

 not for a moment question the fact, but I doubt if there be 

 any ground for separation, specific, subspecific, or racial. I 

 find my specimens from the same locality, obtained at the 

 same time, are placed some in one category, some in another. 

 Verily these definitions would have gladdened the heart of 

 the elder Brehm ! I observe that my male specimens are 

 placed in one series and my female in another. The only 

 conclusion we can arrive at here is that the species-making 

 is a little overdone in the Laniinae, to atone perhaps for 

 the very diff'erent treatment meted out to the Pachycepha- 

 linse. 



When we come to theEthiopian forms, we find Laniuscollaris 

 and L. humeralis treated as merely races, on the ground that 

 in the debatable land of Natal the South-African and the 



