186 RED-BACKED SHRIKE. 
broader; tertiaries, bordered with rufous as the secondaries. 
The tail, which extends about an inch and a half beyond the 
wings, and consists of twelve feathers, has the two middle 
ones black; all the rest white at the base, and black towards 
the end, ‘fine by degrees and beautifully less,’ until the outside 
feather on each side, which is about a quarter of an inch 
shorter than the others, making it slightly wedge-shaped, 
retains only a single dark spot—all are tipped with white; 
the shafts are black; upper tail coverts, bluish grey, with a 
dash of red; beneath it is the same, but less distinct; under 
tail coverts, white. Legs, black, long, and slender; toes and 
claws, black. 
The female in very old age assumes, at all events occa- 
sionally, the plumage of the male, but in general she differs 
much; her weight, about ten drachms; bill, dark brown—the 
base of the lower part yellowish white. Imis, dark brown; 
over the eye is a light streak—no dark one—a brown streak 
below it; head, ferruginous brown. Neck and nape, ferruginous 
brown, tinged with grey below; chin, dull white; throat, 
greyish white; breast, greyish white, the feathers margined 
with a semicircular dusky line; back, ferruginous brown above, 
lower down with a tinge of grey. Primaries, secondaries, and 
tertiaries, as in the male, but the rufous margins narrower; 
tail, ferruginous, the outer web of each outside feather and 
the tips, dull white; underneath it is grey, tipped with white; 
under tail coverts, dull white. Legs and toes, blackish brown. 
The young nearly resemble the female. Over the eye there 
is a yellowish white streak; breast above, yellowish white, 
below, the same, barred with brown on each feather. The 
feathers on the lower part of the back have a narrow dark 
border, the rest of the back is yellowish brown, tinged with 
grey, and the feathers barred at the tip with brown, edged 
with a lighter shade. Tail, yellowish brown, darker at the 
tip, the two outer feathers edged with white. 
A variety of this bird has been met with near Lewes, of 
a uniform pale fawn-colcur. 
