162 LANIAD.E. 



near tlie larger end with a zone of rust-coloured spots ; in 

 some, again, the markings and spots are of a paler colour, and 

 more dispersed over the egg. It is not a wild bird, often 

 building close to houses and public roads. It is abundant 

 in some parts of the Netherlands, and arrives and departs 

 about the same time as Lanius coUurio.'''' 



This Shrike does not visit the higher northern parts of 

 the European Continent ; but is found in Germany and 

 France, in which countries it appears in spring, and leaves in 

 autumn, as might be expected, — though M. Le Vaillant says 

 that he had shot the Woodchat in winter in Lorraine. M. 

 Viellot has remarked that the Woodchat makes choice of 

 odoriferous plants for the construction of part of its nest ; 

 and M. Lichtenstein has noticed the same thing in reference 

 to Lanius minor. 



The Woodchat visits Switzerland, Provence, Italy, the 

 Morea, and Egypt. It is abundant in North Africa, and 

 is found at Senegal, and as far south as the Cape of Good 

 Hope, in both of which latter localities it is said to be sta- 

 tionary all the year. 



In the adult male, the beak is black, with the same sort of 

 tooth and depression near the point of the upper mandible 

 observed in the Red-backed Shrike ; above the base of the 

 upper mandible is a narrow streak of white ; the forehead, 

 round the eyes, the ear-coverts, and a small patch depending 

 therefrom, black ; irides hazel ; crown of the head and nape of 

 the neck, rich chestnut red ; the back black ; the scapulars 

 white ; the rump grey ; upper tail-coverts white : the Avings 

 and wing-coverts black ; the primaries white at the base, 

 forming a spot when the wing is closed ; the secondaries 

 white at the end : the central tail-feathers black ; the outer 

 feather on each side wholly white ; the next on each side 

 with the proximal half white ; the distal half black, with a 

 white tip ; the next on each side with a white tip only. 



