1875.] THE PHILIPPINE AECHIPELAGO. 337 



been unnecessary to do move than enmnerate it in this list. The Latest and most valuable 

 contribution to the history of the rufous-tailed Shrikes wc owe to Mr. Swinhoe (i^. c). That 

 gentleman had collected an unusually large series of individuals, which, together with the 

 knowledge acquired during a long residence in Eastern Asia, entitles his opinion to the greatest 

 weight. Mr. Swinhoe admits as distinct sjiecies L. (ristatus, L. sirpcrciliosus, Lath., and 

 L. lucionensis, L. ; and he has given the probable general lines of their separate annual 

 migrations*. 



These three species, when in adult plumage, are quite unmistakable ; but when immature 

 their specific differences are less striking. Yet Dr. O. Finsch [l. c), after a study of the following 

 meagre and insufficient materials— an adult and a young female example from Java {L. sirper- 

 ciliosus), a young or female individual from Madras {L. cristatm), and a young or female bird 

 captured fifty miles out at sea, off the Luzon coast — has arrived at the conclusion that all three 

 belong to one species, which he terms L.phosnicurus, Pall.f . It may therefore not be superfluous 

 to give the characters which distinguish the three species when in full plumage. 



L. siiperciliosits. Lath. {L. phcenicurvs. Pall. ap. Schrenck; Walden, Ibis, 1SG7, p. 216. pi. v. 

 fig. 2 J), has the entire upper surface very bright uniform rufous, a very broad frontal band, a very Tr. Z. S. ix. 

 broad superciliary stripe, and the throat pure white; the inner webs of the basal parts of the ^' '"' 

 primaries white underneath, which shows through on the upper surface of the quills at their 

 insertion, almost forming a white, yet concealed alar bar ; shoulder-edge and under shoulder- 

 coverts pure white. 



L. crista fits, L., has the head, nape, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail rufous, but less 

 bright and browner than in L. superciUosus. The back is coloured with the same tint, but paler 

 or less rufous. The chin and upper part of the throat are white ; but the tawny hue of the 

 breast extends higher up than in either L. superciUosus or in L. lucionensis ; and all the throat 

 is usually washed with tawny. 



The white frontal band is narrow and ill defined ; and the white supercilium is much less 

 prominent than in L. superciUosus. The quills at their insertions show indications, although 

 slight, of a rudimentary alar bar. The shoulder-edge and under shoulder-coverts are tawny. 

 The female is coloured as the male, but has the subocular stripe brown and not black, and the 

 sides of the breast and flanks more or less striated and freckled with faint brown marks. 



L. hicionensis, L., has the forehead and crown delicate pale pearl-grey, no pure white 



* Although my investigations lead me to generally concur with Mr. iSwinhoc's remarks on this branch of the question, 

 in one particular Mr. Swinhoe appears to have been misled by Mr. Blyth's statement that L. lucionensis occurs in Ceylon. 

 It appears to be now pretty well ascertained that L. cristatus only is found in Ceylon, and that the ashy grey plumage, 

 sometimes observable in that species and in L. superciUosus, was the origin of the erroneous identification. The occurrence 

 of L. lucionensis in the Andamans has been confirmed since it was asserted by Mr. Blyth (Mouat's ' Andamans,' 1803, 

 App. Zool. pp. 352, 360) and by Mr. Ball (J. A. S. B. 1872, p. 2S0, no. 21) ; and I have also lately received Andaman ex- 

 amples of this species. 



t L. cristatus, Linn., is the only species of which I have seen examples from Lake Baikal. More to the eastward in 

 Siberia, L. sui^erciliosris. Lath., may perhaps find its northern limit. Mr. Swinhoe (I. c.) states that examples from the 

 Amoor, Amoy, and Malacca agree ; and I still incline to the belief that L. pliceaicurus, ap. Schrenk (Reisen Am, i. p. 384) 

 is Latham's bird. The evidence we possess favours the opinion that L. pJianicurus, Pall., was described from an example 

 of L. cristatus, Linn. 



t [Anteci, p. 41.— Ed.] 



