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288 PHONEUS NILOTICUS 
the feathers and the external margins of the outermost pair white, the amount 
of white increasing on both sides of the black toward the outer feathers ; 
scapulars and broad bases to the nine longer primaries white ; remainder of 
wing brownish black with a few narrow whitish margins to the feathers 
most distinct on the lesser-coverts and the inner secondaries ; inner margins 
of quills, axillaries and under wing-coverts white, with a dusky patch next 
to the primaries; under parts white with a faint buffy wash on the breast 
and slightly more rufous on the flanks. Iris brown; bill black inclining to 
horny blue at base of lower mandible; feet dusky black. Total length 
7-2 inches, culmen 0°65, wing 3°9, tail 3:2, tarsus 0°9. Fashoda, 3, 30. 3. 01 
(Hawker). 
Adult female. Differs in the forehead, lores and eyebrows being buff 
mottled with black towards the crown, which is itself a paler cinnamon 
brown; mantle dusky grey. Wing 3:8. Gadaburka, ?, 21. 1. 99 (Lovat). 
Immature. Differ in having all the upper parts browner with no pure 
black ; crown and back of neck rufous buff with blackish concentric bars on 
the feathers; wing-feathers more strongly edged with rufous buff; sides and 
base of throat with a few narrow dusky bars; pattern of tail as in the adults. 
Amba, 3, 21.8. 68 (Jesse). 
The Eastern Woodchat Shrike ranges over south-western 
Asia and north-eastern Africa. It breeds in Palestine and 
southern Persia, and winters in Africa, chiefly in the Nile 
Valley and Somaliland. 
In the Upper Nile valley Emin Pasha collected specimens 
at Lado and at Redjaf, a little further south, and this is the 
most southern known range for the species. He informs us 
that it is common in these localities, arriving in November 
and leaving again in March. 
According to Von Heuglin it comes into north-east Africa 
as a migrant in August and leaves again in April, but he 
believed that some of the birds might remain throughout the 
year. He observed it on some of the islands of the Red Sea 
as well as on the Arabian coasts. 
Blanford only met with the Woodchat Shrike on the 
highlands of Abyssinia and found it rare there. One of his 
examples taken at Halai at 8,000 ft. in February is in the 
British Museum, as well as one collected by Jesse at Amba 
