( 183 ) 

 THE THICK-BILLED SHRIKE. 



LANIUS TIGRINUS, DRAPIEZ. 

 [Lanius magairostris (Swin).] 



Description. — Length seven and one 

 half inches. Bill very large and heavy, 

 black, pale plumbeous blue at base. 

 Iris brown. Tarsus pale plumbeous 

 blue. 



Crown, nape, and upper back gray. 

 Forehead, and sides of head black. 

 Back, rump, and tail coverts, rufous, 

 with black lunules. Tail russet, 

 obsoletely barred and tipped white. 



The ijoung are gray below, no black 

 on the face, and upper parts reddish 

 brown. 



Distrihiition. — China generally, a 

 summer visitant in the Yangtse Valley. 

 Both young and adult birds have been 

 taken on Mokansan in July. 



We find no account of the nest or 

 eggs. 



Family, SIttldae, the Nuthatches. 



Nuthatches are stocky little birds, 

 with slender, acute bills, about as long 

 as the head ; a short tarsus, scutellated 

 in front, and covered with two entire 

 longitudinal plates behind ; and a very 

 long hind toe, while the front ones are 

 of unequal length. The wings are long 

 and pointed, with ten primaries. The 

 tail is short, nearly even, of twelve 

 soft, broad, feathers. 



Nuthatches climb with great ease 

 about the trunks of trees, or the face 

 of cliffs, assuming all sorts of positions, 

 but they never make use of their tails 

 for support as do the woodpeckers. 

 The Nuthatch has been described as a 

 bird with the " bill of a Woodpecker, 

 and the tail of a Titmouse." 



