314 LANIARIUS ATHIOPICUS 
melodious flute-like whistle, rarely single, generally of three 
or four notes, which must be familar to every Abyssinian 
traveller. The answer of the female is a harsh note, some- 
thing like that of a Common Shrike. Besides this, the bird 
has another call, like ‘ tuk tuk-tuk-tatatatuk’ quickly uttered. 
In January and February these Shrikes abounded, generally 
in families of four or five, in the pass leading to Senafé, 
between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. None were seen round Zuilla. 
In May they were common at a much greater elevation, even 
at 8,000 and 9,000 feet, near Senafé, where none were met 
with three months before. They were occasionally seen in 
Samhar around Ailet in July, and they abounded in the 
Anseba Valley. They thus appear to have a considerable 
range in altitude, being, however, most common at all periods 
of the year in the sub-tropical regions. They feed like other 
Bush Shrikes on various small insects picked off the leaves 
and stems. In July, near Kelamet in the Lebka Valley, I saw 
two couples of these birds together, engaged in a most extra- 
ordinary dance-like motion. They were sitting on small 
branches, moving their bodies up and down, as if curtsying 
to each other, the males meantime constantly repeating 
their flute-like notes, to which the females answered.” 
Butler states that he met with this species at Gallabat 
on the Sudan-Abyssinian frontier where it was quite common, 
and also in the Bahr el Ghazal, but examples from the last- 
named province in the British Museum must be referred 
to L. major. 
In southern Abyssinia and Shoa it was procured by Lord 
Lovat and Pease, as well as by Degen, Neumann and Erlanger. 
The first-named (Ibis, 1900, p. 147), who obtained the bird 
at Lake Chercher, makes the following remarks on its voice: 
“The note of this bird meets the Abyssinian traveller’s ear 
every day. The double call-note is caused by the male and 
