Z LANIARIUS SENEGALUS. 395 
continent. It inhabits only the eastern province of the Cape 
Colony, and we saw it not uncommon near Grahamstown, the 
Kowie, Keiskamma, where it frequents bushy country, creeping 
about the scrub, uttering the most singular and discordant cries, 
loud enough to proceed from a bird of ten times its size, and feeding 
on grasshoppers, caterpillars, &c. Mr. Rickard notes its occurrence 
at Port Elizabeth and East London, and Lieutenant Trevelyan has 
forwarded many specimens from the neighbourhood of King- 
williamstown, and we have also received it from Eland’s Post, 
from Mr, Atmore. “In Natal,” writes Mr. Ayres, “this Shrike 
frequents the dense underwood and jungle, being occasionally found 
in more detached bushes ; its flight is weak, and it therefore trusts 
most to hiding for safety in the matted coverts; its notes are harsh ; 
the food consists, I believe, entirely of insects; during its short 
flight the tail is frequently expanded, which gives the bird rather 
a showy appearance.” According to the same observer it also 
breeds in Natal, constructing a nest amongst a mass of tangled 
creeping plants, merely placing the nests on or amongst them, either 
not at all adhering to them or very slightly indeed. Mr. Ayres also 
states that it is not uncommon in the Transvaal, and the same is 
stated respecting the species about Bamangwato by Mr. T. EH. - 
Buckley. The late Mr. Frank Oates procured it on the Pantama- 
tanka River and other places on the road to the Zambesi, where 
Dr. Kirk found it frequent. On the east coast we have seen 
specimens from Mozambique and as high as Mombas, but in Abys- 
sinia a smaller and distinct race (7. blanfordi, Sharpe) takes its 
place. In South-Western Africa it is generally distributed, but 
according to Mr. Andersson it was only found by him in the 
northern parts of Damara Land, whence it occurs throughout 
Benguela and Angola to the Congo, being found also in West 
Africa, from the Gold Coast to Senegambia. 
The following characters distinguish this species:—The scapulars 
are varied with black, being black with rufous margins; the under 
tail-coverts are whitish or pale ochraceous buff; the sides of the 
body are ashy; and the ear-coverts are ochraceous brown. Total 
length, 8} inches ; culmen, 0°85 to 0°95 ; wing, 3°05 to 35; tail, 3°9, 
The specimens from beyond the tropics are smaller than tifone eae 
Natal and South-Eastern Africa. 
Fig. Daubent. Pl. Enl. I. pl. 479, fig. 2. 
