433 REVIEW OF AMERICAN BIRDS. [PART I. 
bristles. Feet strong and well developed; the tarsi longer than middle toe 
and claw, with seven or eight scutelle anteriorly, the lateral plates usually 
with a tendency to subdivision inferiorly, especially the duter, which is some- 
times divided regularly its entire length in C. excubitoroides, although this 
character is not the same even on opposite feet of the same specimen. Lateral 
toes nearly equal, reaching about tc base of middle claw; the toes quite 
deeply cleft, the fnner nearly to its base, but adherent to half the basal joint 
of middle; externally this joint is united nearly throughout to one and a 
half joints of outer toe; these basal joints somewhat abbreviated, so that 
the inner is rather longer than middle. 
There is a slight variation in form in American species of Collurio, 
the legs being shorter and the bill longer proportionally in borealis 
than in the others. In excubitoroides the legs are longer both 
absolutely and relatively than in any American species, or C. excu- 
bitor of Europe. There is much difference in specimens, and even 
in different feet of the same specimen in regard to the subdivision 
of the lateral plates (especially the outer) of tarsus, this sometimes 
being quite regular, as much so as anteriorly, at other times quite 
the contrary ; frequently the plates are entire, except at the lower 
end. 
The type of the genus Zanius, as established by Linneus in the 
10th edition of Systema Nature, is the Z. ecristatus of India and 
Java, which, according to Cabanis, is congeneric with the Z. collurio, 
the type of Boie’s genus Hnneoctonus, Lanius should, therefore, 
replace Hnneoctonus for the long-winged European Shrikes, and 
another name adopted for the larger European and American forms. 
In the “Birds of North America,” 1858, I used the name Collyrio 
of Mehring for this group, following G. R. Gray, but as I now admit 
no genera of authors prior to or contemporaneous with Linneus, 
who did not adopt the binomial system, as established by him, not 
even those of Linneus himself prior to 1758, it becomes necessary 
to take the next in order, namely, Collurio of Vigors. 
The following synopsis will exhibit the characters of the North 
American Shrikes, as well as of their close ally, C. excubitor of 
Europe :— 
GENERAL Cotor.—Bluish or plumbeous-ash above; the outer edges of scapu- 
lars, sometimes the forehead and rump, paler. Beneath white, sometimes 
with waved transverse dark lines. A broad black stripe from side of upper 
pill through eye (extending more widely beneath than above it, sometimes 
wanting above) to end of ear coverts. Wings (except lesser coverts) and 
tail black; the former with a white patch across base of primaries (some- 
times on inner webs of secondaries) ; the secondaries tipped with white ; 
the tail with broad white tips to the lateral feathers, the concealed bases 
of which are also usually white. , 
