SHRIKE 



845 



Ked-backed Shrike, L. collurio, the best-known species in Great 

 Britain, where it is a summer visitor, and, though its distribution is 

 rather local, it may be seen in many parts of England and occasion- 

 ally reaches Scotland. The cock is a sightly bird with his grey 

 head and neck, black cheek -band, chestnut back and pale red 

 breast, while the hen is ordinarily of a dull brown, barred on the 

 lower plumage. A more highly -coloured species is called the 

 Woodchat, L. auriculatus or rutilus, with a bright bay crown and 

 nape, and the rest of its plumage black, grey and white. This is 

 an accidental visitor to England, but breeds commonly in many 

 parts of Europe. 



The limits of the Family Laniidm have been very variously 

 regarded, and agreement between almost any two systematists on 

 this point seems at present out of the question. The latest synopsis 

 is that by Dr. Gadow {Cat B. Brit. Mm. viii. pp. 88-321), who 

 frankly states that it is " quite impossible to give a concise diagnosis 

 of what we are to understand by " the Family. For his purpose he 



NiLAUS. 



Laniarius. 

 (After Swainson.) 



Telephonus. 



makes it to include about 250 species and divides it into five sub- 

 families : — Gymnorhininx, Malaconotinm — including such forms as 

 JSfilaus, Laniarius and Telephonus, Pachycephalinse — of which Falcunadns 

 may serve as an example, Laniinm and 

 Vireoninx. Of these doubts may be 

 especially entertained as to the affinity 

 of the first and last. He, but for the 

 crude plan to which he was compelled 

 to conform, would not have separated 

 Strepera from Gymnorhina, but the 

 former had been already included, to 



,1 1 • f ii 1 J.J. il ^ Falcuncdlus. (After Swainson.) 



the exclusion 01 the latter, among tlie *• 



Corvidai, and even placed among the normal Corvinx. The need 

 of exercising reserve on this matter has been before stated (Crow, 

 p. 116); but the number of ornithologists who think that these 

 two genera should be placed in diff"erent Families must be small. 



extreme to the other can be found. The differences when compared with those 

 observable in other animals are, as a whole, too slight to justify the epithet 

 "polymorphic" to L. excuhitor as a species ; but enough has been said to shew 

 that it indicates a tendency in that direction. 



