FISCUS HUMERALIS 251 
The most northerly locality for this Shrike seems to be 
Cheren in Eritrea, whence it has recently been brought by 
Zedlitz. Blanford (Abyssinia, p. 338), says: “ Very common 
throughout the highlands, and seen as low as the Anseba 
Valley, where, however, it is rare. It is usually seen sitting 
on the tops of bushes, and then pouncing down upon insects. 
It breeds in the rainy season. I shot a female containing a 
completely developed egg on July 18.” THrlanger found that 
it nested in low bushes near Harrar about nine feet from the 
ground ; he took several nests in April, 1900, containing two 
to three eggs. 
Doherty (Nov. Zool. 1902, p. 521) obtained a good 
series of this Shrike in the Kikuyu country; he found it 
nesting in December at 8,000 ft., and Sjéstedt has recently 
found it quite common in the Kilimanjaro region from the 
plains up to about 5,500 ft. Further south, in the Mel- 
setter district of S. Rhodesia, Swynnerton states that it is 
by no means abundant, though widely distributed. By the 
natives it is there called “ Mutungadzorera,” meaning “ im- 
paler of gamey food” in allusion to its Butcher Bird habits, 
while it is known as “Laksman” among the local Dutch. 
A nest found on October 7 was situated seven and a half 
feet from the ground in the fork of a tree. It contained four 
fresh eges measuring 1'0 x 0°75; these were pale dull greenish, 
speckled all over with light olive brown, with a few underlying 
iron-grey markings. 
The Fiscal Shrike of Natal is certainly referable to this 
species. It is a well-known bird there, and is found 
throughout from Durban to Newcastle; the English colonists 
call it “Johnny Hangman,” from its habit of impaling its 
prey, in which respect it resembles its near ally in Cape 
Colony. 
In Natal it breeds, as a rule, from October to December. 
