LANIUS MINOR 277 
Lanius longipennis, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng. 1846, p. 300. 
Lanius roseus, Bailly, Orn. Savoie, ii. p. 26 (1853). 
Lanius greecus, Brehm, Vogelfang, p. 84 (1855). 
Adult male. Forehead, front of crown and sides of head above the gape 
to the ear-coverts jet black; remainder of crown, back half of neck, back, 
scapulars and upper tail-coverts uniform pearl grey; tail, with the two 
centre feathers entirely black, the other with the basal third and the ends 
white, the amount of white rapidly increasing towards the two outer pairs 
of feathers, which have their entire webs pure white; wing mostly black, 
with a wash of grey on the least coverts, broad white bases to the primaries 
and some white terminal edges to the quills; under wing-coverts pure white 
with a dusky patch next to the primaries; axillaries greyish white; lower 
cheeks and under parts generally white, with a rosy tinge on the front and 
sides of the breast most conspicuous in freshly moulted birds. Iris brown; 
bill dark brown, much paler at the base of the lower mandible ; feet black. 
Total length 8:2 inches, culmen 0°75, wings 4°8, tail 4:0, tarsus 1:0. 
Kroonstad, 3, 24. 3. 85 (Symonds). 
Adult female. Differs in having less black on the head and the breast 
less rosy. 
Immature. Differs in the upper parts being pale earthy brown, which 
colour extends over the forehead and lores; the black of the tail extends on 
to the inner web of the penultimate feather; breast white with no rosy 
shade. Hlephant Vley, 11. 11. 59 (Andersson). 
This species at any stage of plumage can be always recognized by its 
very short outer primary which barely extends beyond the primary coverts. 
The Lesser Grey Shrike ranges over eastern and southern 
Africa in winter months, but has not been recorded in the 
western half of Tropical Africa from further north than the 
Congo River. It breeds in middle and southern Europe and 
western Asia and ranges northwards to Turkestan and the Altai 
Mountains. 
Like the generality of Shrikes, they are bold and pugnacious, 
and although strong and active on the wing usually take but 
short flights. As a rule they are to be met with, perched 
on an exposed bough watching for the passing insects, but 
sometimes they will hover in the air or glide like a bird of 
prey in pursuit of their quarry; they also occasionally feed 
upon fruit. They breed in Europe about May; the nest is 
June, 1912, 19 
