NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



feathers black. A line over the eye orange. A black streak 

 through the eye. Throat and cheeks scarlet with yellow 

 bases to the feathers. A broad band of black on the breast, 

 joining a narrow streak of the same colour from the base of the 

 lower mandible. Rest of the lower surface yellow, tinged with 

 scarlet on the breast and under tail coverts. Iris brown. Bill 

 black. Legs bluish-brown. 



Total lengthy 7.65 ; tail, 3.40 ; wing, 3.15. 



Distribution. — From the Alexandria Division of the Cape 

 Province, along the east coast through Natal, Zululand, and 

 Transvaal to British East Africa. 



Habits. — ^This shrike inhabits the dense thickets in pairs, 

 and emits a cheery note resembling kong-kong-koit. The 

 nest is loosely constructed of twigs lined with leaf stalks in a 

 dense bush 4 or 5 ft. from the ground. Clutch, 2 to 3 ; 

 eggs white with grey-brown streaks and splashes, mostly at 

 the larger end ; size, 0.83 by 0.58. 



Black and Crimson Shrike {Lanarius atrococcineus). 

 (Vol. L, p. 267.) 



Description. — -Male : upper parts black, some of the 

 feathers on the lower part of the back tipped with white. Wings 

 black with a white bar. The whole of the under surface 

 crimson. Iris brown. Bill and feet black. 



Total lengthy 8.00 ; tail, 4.00 ; wing, 4.00. 



Distribution. — ^Junction of Orange and Vaal Rivers, and 

 north to Angola. 



Habits. — These birds Inhabit the bush-veld, and are shy, 

 quick, and wary. They are seen singly or in pairs. The nest 

 is cup shaped, and made of rough materials such as soft dead 

 reeds without any lining. Clutch, 3. Eggs white, profusely 

 spotted with brown. 



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