182 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



inhabiting the most seckided parts of the forest, and is as 

 frequently seen searching for its food on the ground as among 

 the topmost branches of the highest trees. In its habits, 

 manners, mode of flight, and in its loud, discordant, organ- 

 pipe-like voice, it closely resembles the other members of the 

 genus. It is usually seen in pairs, or in small families of four 

 or five. Its nest is built of sticks in the upright fork of a 

 thickly-foliaged tree, at about thirty or forty feet from the 

 ground. 



The stomach is muscular, and the food consists of insects 

 of various kinds, but principally of coleoptera. 



The sexes are not distinguished by any difference in the 

 markings of the plumage, but the young are dressed in a 

 brown colouring like those of the other members of the genus. 



Collar at the back of neck, centre and edge of the wing, 

 rump, abdomen, under tail-coverts, and tips of all but the 

 centre tail-feathers white, remainder of the plumage deep 

 black ; irides dark reddish brown ; bill ash-grey, the tip 

 black ; legs and feet dark greenish grey. 



Sp. 97. CRACTICUS ARGENTEUS, Gould. 



Silvery-backed Crow-Shrike. 

 Cr adieus argenteus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part viii. p. 126. 



Cracticus argenteus, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. 11. p. 51. 



Examples of this species were discovered on the north 

 coast of Australia, both by Sir George Grey and B. Bynoe, 

 Esq., to the latter of whom I am indebted for one of the spe- 

 cimens from which my description was taken. 



The Cracticus argenteus is directly intermediate in size be- 

 tween C. torquatus and C. nigrogularis, and moreover exhibits 

 a remarkfiblc participation in the colouring of those two species, 

 having the white throat and chest of the former, and the 

 parti-coloured wings, conspicuous white rump, and white- 



