520 Mr. H. E. Dresser on rare or 



yet known. He writes to me as follows : — " These eggs 

 were taken on the 13/25 May at Keroo, in the province of 

 Gilyan, North Persia. The nest was placed in a barberry- 

 bush (Berberis densifiora) which grew on the bank of a 

 small mountain-stream, and was about four feet above the 

 ground. It was firmly and compactly built, the outermost 

 wall of loose juniper-twigs, the prickly branches of the 

 barberry, and prickly leaves of various plants; the next 

 layer, or middle wall, was of narrow or wider juniper-ends, 

 mixed with grass-stems : and the inner wall or lining was 

 composed of fine rootlets, sheep's wool, and goat's hair. 

 Along the edges of the outer wall filaments of grass-leaves 

 and stout grass-straws were laid in such a manner as to form 

 a regular pentagon, and in some parts of the outside the nest 

 was decorated with pieces of cotton -wool and sheep's wool. 

 The measurements of the nest were as follows : — Total height 

 85 mm. (3-35 inches), depth (50 (2-36), outside diameter 125 

 ( t-92), diameter of cup 68 (2G8)." The average size of the 

 four eggs is 0'9 by 07 inch. 



Lanius erythronotus. Kufous-backed Shrike. (PL XL 

 figs. 5, 8.) 



(Dresser, Man. Palrearct. Birds, p. 215.) 



The breeding-range of this Shrike extends from Turkestan 

 down into India. The bird breeds from March to August, 

 according to the locality, and Major Wardlaw Ramsay found 

 many nests in Afghanistan in May and June. These he 

 describes as being composed of green grass, moss, cotton- 

 wool, thistledown, rags, cow's hair, mule's hair, and shreds 

 of juniper-bark, &c. ; they were placed in willows by the 

 river-bank, in apricot-trees, and in one instance in the centre 

 of a dense thorny creeper. The two eggs figured are from 

 the same clutch, to shew the variation. Eggs in my 

 collection vary in size from 087 by 0'67 to 092 by 

 0"72 inch. 



Lanius rufus O. -Grant, nee Gmel. Eastern Woodchat- 

 Shrike. (PI. XL figs. 4, 7.) 



This subspecies, which was differentiated by Mr. Ogilvie- 



