PHONEUS SENATOR 289 
in August. As this is quite a young bird it may quite well be 
that this species breeds in the Abyssinian highlands. 
Most of the observers and collectors in north-east Africa 
have met with this bird only in the early months of the year. 
Butler obtained it at Kambin on the Blue Nile on March 3, 
and in the Bahr el Ghazal in January, February and April, 
where it is not uncommon. He further remarks that it is 
frequently to be seen in the gardens and cultivated spots at 
Khartum at the end of August or beginning of September. 
Zaphiro collected specimens at Moradar on the White Nile 
in February, and Hawker at Fashoda at the end of March. 
Zedlitz only saw one Woodchat Shrike in Eritrea, which he 
killed at Cheren in February. 
Mr. Dresser has figured the eggs of this Woodchat Shrike. 
Four clutches were taken by Zarudny in Arabistan, Persia, 
in March, 1904. They do not differ appreciably from those 
of P. senator, and they average 0°89 x 0°68 in dimensions. 
In the British Museum the following specimens have been 
examined, viz.: Moradar, February (Zaphiro) and Fashoda, 
April 1 (Hawker), on the White Nile; Wad Medina, juvenile, 
September 19 (Dunn) on the Blue Nile; Gadaburka in Shoa, 
January (Lovat), Amba, August (Jesse), Halai, February 
(Blanford), all in Abyssinia; Lario, March 1, and Magois 
country, January 28, near Lake Rudolf (D. Smith); Makanis, 
Somaliland, January (Hawker). There are also a good number 
of examples from Egypt (taken in March), Palestine, south 
Persia, and one from Sindh, this last perhaps of doubtful 
authority. 
Phoneus senator. 
Lanius senator, Linn. Syst. Nat. 10th ed. i. p. 94 (1758) Rhine Valley ; 
Reichen. Vég. Afr. ii. p. 625 (1903); Hartert, Nov. Zool. 1906, 
p. 400; id. Vog. Paliark. Fauna, i. p. 434 (1907). 
Lanius ruficeps, Pallas, Vroeg’s Cat. Verzam. Vogelen p. i, (1764) 
Holland. 
