NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



around farmhouses. The nest is cup shaped, and made of grass 

 or roots lined with down, fine grass, or small fibres. It is 

 invariably placed in the centre of a low bush. Clutch, 4 to 5 ; 

 eggs verditer-blue, spotted mostly at the larger end with rusty- 

 red ; size, i.oo by 0.78. 



Lesser Puff-back Shrike {JDryoscopus cubla). (Vol. L, 



P- ^-11-) 



Description. — Male : crown and upper part of the back 

 black. Lower back white, most of the feathers being long, 

 puffy, and tipped with grey. The bird is able to erect them at 

 will so as to resemble a large white puff ball. Under surface of 

 body greyish-white. Iris deep orange. Bill black. Legs 

 grey. 



Total lengthy 6.0 to 7.0 ; tail, 3.0 to 3.5 ; wing, 3.2 

 to 3.7. 



The female is duller and greyer than the male. 



Distribution. — From Knysna, up the eastern side of South 

 Africa to the Transvaal, Damaraland, Southern Benguela, to 

 the Zambesi Valley. 



Habits. — The puff- back shrike is so-called because of the 

 ability of the male bird to erect the long, downy, white feathers on 

 the rump. These birds associate in pairs and inhabit the wood- 

 lands. The nest is the usual cup-shaped structure peculiar to 

 shrikes. It is made of grass bound on the outside with cobwebs, 

 and has a neat finished appearance. Clutch, 3. Eggs white, 

 with a ring of specks and spots of dark brown at the larger end. 



Greater Puff-back Shrike {Dryoscopus ferrugineiis). 

 (Vol. L, p. 277.) 



Description. — Male : head and neck black, shading to 

 dark brown on the back. Lower back and rump orange-buff, 

 the feathers being long, fluffy, and erectile. Tail black, the 

 two outer feathers usually tipped with white. White bar across 



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