LANIADA. AT 
and large insects: these it generally fixes, after it 
has killed them, in a forked branch or sharp thorn, 
the more readily to pull them to pieces, as do all 
the birds of this family. 
This bird builds in trees, making a nest of bents, 
roots and moss, lined with down and wool.* 
In the old male the upper mandible is black, with 
a projecting tooth near the point of the beak, which 
is considerably curved; under mandible yellowish 
brown at the base, becoming brownish black at the 
end; the nostrils hid by black hairs; irides very 
dark brown; space from the beak to the eye, a 
narrow streak under the eye, and from thence a 
broad patch to the ear-coverts, black; immediately 
above this a small streak of white; head, neck, back 
and rump pearl-grey; some of the scapulars and the 
tail-coverts much paler, nearly white; wing-coverts 
black; primary quills black towards the points, 
white at the base; secondaries the same; tertials 
black, tipped with white; the four centre feathers 
of the tail black; the next feather on each side 
tipped with white, which colour occupies more space 
on each feather towards the outside, the outside tail- 
feathers being almost wholly white; all the under 
parts are white; legs, toes and claws black. Females 
resemble the males, except that the colours of the 
so Varrell, vol. i, p. 169: 
