406 JUKD8 OP INDIA. 



261. Lanius cristatus, LiNNiEus. 



Blytii, Cat. 874— IIonsF., Cut. 218— Edwards, Y., pi. 54— 

 L. supcrciliosiiS; L., apud Jerdon, 2nd Suppl., Cat. 51, bis — L. 

 ferrugiccps, Hodgs. — L. pluenicur.us, Pallas — Batti padir, Tel. — 

 Yulgo Batti-kiriti-gadti, Tel. 



The Brown Shrike. 



Deacr. --Above rufons-brown, with the head, tail, and the upper 

 tail-covert.s, more rufous ; streak over the eye, sometimes faintly 

 and narrowly extending over the forehead, white ; throat white ; 

 the rest of the lower parts Avhitish, witli a fulvous tinge ; lores and 

 ear-coverts, forming a broad band throiigh the eye, diill brown- 

 black. Females and young much edged with brown bands, and the 

 eye-spot paler and brown. 



Bill horny, dusky at the tip ; legs ieaden-brown ; irides dark. 



Length 8 inches ; wing 3f ; tail 3^. 



The Brown Shrike is found in almost every part of the plains of 

 India, during the cold weather, frequenting gardens, hedge-rows, 

 groves of trees, and low jungle. It disappears from the south of 

 India in the hot season and rains, and most of them do the .^ame 

 even in the north of India, but there a few couple stay and breed. 



Blyth says " Its pecidiarly harsh chattering affords the earliest 

 intimation of the advent of the cold weather in Calcutta; but that a 

 iew are found near at all seasons." He also remarks, that it occa- 

 sionally warbles very sweetly, towards the end of the cold season. 

 The Benii;al name, Curcutia, is applied on account of its ordinary 

 harsh voice. Hamilton, in his manuscripts, remarks that it occasion- 

 ally builds near Calcutta ; but TickcU has, in this case, I think, as 

 in (;thers, been misled by his native collectors, for he evidently de- 

 scribes the nest and eggs of a Bulbul for those of this Shrike, 

 ride J. A. S., XVII., 302. 



A nearly allied race, or species, exiists in Malayana, L. snper- 

 dZz05?i.?, L., distinguished by its brighter rufous colour, and the 

 very conspicuous white frontal band and eyebrow ; and })crhaps an- 

 other race, L. Incionensis, L. (iT<is-'^!r(»<fr/s, Kuhl. apud r.imaparte). 



