186 Mr. H. E. Dresser's Notes on 



three inner secondaries lighter brownish grey; the base of 

 the 5th to the 8th primaries white, forming a white patch, 

 which is sometimes concealed by tlie coverts. 



'' Adult female. Differs from the male merely in having the 

 black line on the side of the head shorter, this line being sur- 

 rounded by white feathers. 



" The young of both sexes are varied with brown and greyish 

 spots and lines ; the larger wing-coverts and the inner secon- 

 daries have broad light edges ; there is no -white patch on the 

 wing ; and the underparts are barred with brown, the barrings 

 being narrower and wider apart than those on the upper 

 parts ; the dark markings on the cheeks are not black, but 

 brownish, the feathers having black edges ; tail light brown- 

 ish, barred with brown ; rump light reddish brown. 



" After the first moult the crown, nape, and back are as in 

 the adult, the wings, tail, and cheeks as in the younger bird ; 

 the lower throat and sides are marked as in the very young 

 bird, but the throat and centre of the abdomen as in the 

 adult. The male has the barrings on the abdomen narrower 

 in this plumage than the female After the third moult the 

 male gets his full plumage, — but the female not until after the 

 fourth moult, as after the third moult the sides are still marked 

 as in the young ; but it breeds in this dress. 



" In all plumages the legs are blackish plumbeous ; the bill 

 is black in the adult, and yellowish grey at the base and brown 

 at the tip in the young. Total length 8"-8" 5'", extent 1 1" 1"'- 

 12", wing 3" 5"'-3" 8'", tail 3" li"'-3" 2 V",culmen 5 V", thick- 

 ness of bill 21"', tarsus 9"'-9V", middle toe Q\'". 



" In Lanius phcenicurus the ten central tail-feathers are uni- 

 form in length, the two outer ones being 4'" shorter ; the alar 

 patch is larger, and extends over nine pi'imaries, from the 

 2nd to the 10th, and is not concealed by the coverts ; the 

 upper parts are darker and greyer (brownish grey) ; the wings 

 are blackish brown, the feathers having light edges ; tail red- 

 dish brown ; lores black, like the upper part of the cheeks ; 

 underparts light rose-coloured ; sides brownish. The dif- 

 ferences in plumage are similar to those in L. isahellinus. 

 First primary short, longer than the coverts, 3 = 4>5>2>6, 

 or 3rd longest, 2 = 5. Length of the male 7" 5'", extent 



