vi LANIIDAE 533 
bright green, or sky blue, with smears, dashes, spots, or freckles 
of lilac and brown. The shy Cracticus is more arboreal, and eats 
mice, young birds, lizards, and even crabs, in addition to insects, 
upon which C. destructor darts like a Flycatcher, impaling its 
prey subsequently after the fashion of a Shrike. The cry in this 
genus bears a general resemblance to that of the above forms; 
the eggs are equally variable, and may have zonal markings. 
Sub-fam. 2. Malaconotinae-—These African and Indian birds 
are commonly black, white, and chestnut ; Laniarius, however, is 
chiefly red, green, and yellow ; Vicator, Neolestes, and several species 
of Ptererythrius shew much yellow and green; while Artamia 
leucocephala is greenish-black, and A. bicolor chiefly cobalt, both 
having the head and under parts white. The feathers of the back 
are very broad, soft, and fluffy.  Vanga, Artamia, Xenopirostris, 
and Calicalicus are peculiar to Madagascar; unless Clytorhynchus 
pachycephaloides of New Caledonia and the New Hebrides be 
referred to Venopirostris. Between 1. polleni and Tylas eduardi 
(Pyecnonotidae) a most curious instance of “ unconscious mimicry ” 
exists. The retiring members of this Sub-family are commonly 
seen hopping or climbing about thick undergrowth in search of 
insects and their larvae, or hunting for worms and spiders on the 
ground ; they run well and fly fairly, while some forms, as Dryos- 
copus cubla and D. rufiventris, puff out their feathers until the body 
resembles a black and white ball. The voice of Laniarius rubi- 
ginosus has been compared to that of a Nightingale, and other species 
utter ringing notes, sweet or melancholy whistles, or at times loud, 
discordant cries or “churrs.” The nest—where known—consists 
of twigs, grass, wool, hair, and feathers, and contains from three 
to five greenish-white eges with brown spots; it is placed in a bush, 
or among close-growing plants. The male occasionally incubates. 
Sub-fam. 3. Pachycephalinae—This group, which extends 
from most of Polynesia and Australia to Tenasserim and the Great 
Sunda Islands, shews brown, black, white, grey, yellow, and olive 
hues, the yellow being somewhat characteristic. The majority of 
the members hop actively about leafy trees, or search the ground 
for insects, their larvae, and berries; Maleunculus takes short, 
quick flights, clings to the boughs like a Tit, and often tears off 
the bark; while Pachycephala simplex prefers swampy ground, and 
behaves like a Flycatcher. Some species have a low, mournful, 
reiterated note, others a continuous whistle, often ending with a 
