Descriptive List of the Common Birds 



and has very much the same habits and appear- 

 ance as the last species. (Illus. B. B., p. 103.) 



The Shrikes, or Butcher Birds, 34~37 



The shrikes form a well-marked familv of 

 birds. Their habit is to sit on an exposed 

 perch and from thence pounce on to some 

 insect on the ground. Thus their habits are 

 like those of some birds of prey. Their 

 hooked and notched beaks and the broad black 

 band that runs from the base of the beak 

 through the eye gives them a very sinister 

 appearance. They have a variet}' of notes. 



34. Lanius lahtora : The Indian Grey Shrike 



(F.469), a-256), (+11.) 



Upper parts French grey ; forehead black ; 

 broad black band from base of beak, through 

 eye and down the side of the neck. Tail black 

 and white ; wings black with conspicuous white 

 bar. Breast and lower plumage white. 



Sind, Punjab, U. P., C. P., and Western 

 Bengal. 



The nest of this and of the other species of 



butcher bird is a deep cup, placed usually in a 



thorny tree, often close up against the trunk. 



Not infrequently bits of rag hang down from 



III 



