LANIUS AUCHERI 269 
Adult——Front of forehead, region of, eyes and the ear-coverts black; 
crown, hinder half of neck, back and upper tail-coverts pearl-grey; tail 
black with the base and ends of all but the centre two feathers white, the 
white increasing in amount to the outer pair, which are white with only a 
little black along the shaft, the fifth pair with a black shaft stripe and usually 
with black on the inner web as well; scapulars grey with the outer half 
towards the secondaries white; wings mostly black with the least coverts 
mingled grey and black; quills with some terminal white margins, broadest 
on the secondaries, and broad white bases to the primaries; axillaries and 
under wing-coverts white, with a dusky patch next to the primaries; cheeks 
below the gape and the under-parts generally white, with a distinct wash 
of grey on the breast and flanks. Iris brown; bill and feet black. Total 
length 9°3 inches, culmen 0°8, wing 4°15, tail 4:2, tarsus 1:1. Annesley Bay, 
9, 1. 2. 68 (Blanford). 
The sexes are alike; the male is a little larger, wing 4:2 to 4:3. 
Aucher’s Grey Shrike ranges from the eastern shores of 
the Red Sea and the neighbouring highlands of Abyssinia 
eastwards into Arabia, Palestine, Persia and Beluchistan. 
Blanford found it abundant on the shores of Annesley Bay 
in January and February and again in August near Massowah, 
and thought it was migratory. Erlanger obtained the species 
further south at El Hota in December and at Zeila in 
January. Finally Zedlitz found it abundant and _ breeding 
on Dahlak Island in the Red Sea. There it perches on 
buildings and thorn trees, and at least one pair were found 
inhabiting every acacia. Completed nests were met with 
as early as February 13, while the male was sitting close by 
and singing like the European species, and Zedlitz did not 
doubt that it was a breeding bird on the island. He obtained 
an example at Cheren, inland in the Anseba valley, where 
he believed it to be only a winter bird or a transient. 
In addition to the types of DL. fallax and two of the speci- 
mens obtained by Blanford at Annesley Bay and Ain, the 
British Museum contains a fine series of this species from 
various localities in southern Arabia from Aden to Muscat, 
