176 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



to six as a rule, vary considerably in colour and marking, being 

 sometimes of a pale bluish-green, with lilac-grey shell marks and 

 olive-brown surface spots, at other times of a pale salmon or flesh- 

 colour, with grey shell marks and reddish-brown surface spots. 

 Average measurements 23 x 16 mm. 



There do not appear to be any good grounds for the specific, or even 

 subspecific, separation of the Woodchat found breeding in Tunisia 

 from tj'pical L.pomeranus as found in Europe. 



The Eed-backed Shrike (L. coUurio) has been once recorded as 

 occurring in Marocco, but with this exception I have no knowledge 

 of the species being found in North-west Africa. In Egypt, however, 

 according to Captain Shelley (Birds of Egypt, p. 117), it occurs in 

 spring and autumn as a regular migrant, though never plentifully. 

 In Southern Italy and some of the Mediterranean islands the species 

 is not uncommon as a summer migrant. 



TELEPHONUS CUCULLATUS, Temminck. 

 HOODED SHEIKE. 



Lanius cucullatus, Temm. Man. d'Oni. iv, p. 600 (1840); Malherbe, 



Fauna Orn. de I'AUj. p. 19 (1856). 

 Telephonus cucullatus, IJonap. Consp. Gen. Avium, i, p. 361 (1850). 

 Telophonus cucullatus, Gadoiv, Cat. Birds Brit. Mtis. viii, p. 126. 

 Lanius telephorus, Malherbe, Faune Orn. de I'Alg. p. 19 (1855). 

 Telephonus tchagra, Loche, Exi^l. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 45 (1867). 

 Telephonus erythropterus, Koenig, J. F. 0. 1892, p. 374. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from North Tunisia. 



Forehead, crown, lores and a streak behind the eye jet-black; a 

 conspicuous white superciliary stri^ie becoming rufescent further back ; 

 ear-coverts, nape, back, rumj) and upper tail-coverts brownish-grey ; 

 scapulars blackish, fringed with bright chestnut ; wing-coverts and the 

 greater part of the outer webs of the quills bright chestnut, the inner webs 

 being dark brown, fringed with chestnut ; the middle pair of rectrioes 

 ash-brown, minutely barred with darker markings; the remaining tail- 

 feathers black, broadly tipped with white ; underparts ash-grey, becoming 

 lighter on the chin and middle of the abdomen. 



Iris brown ; bill and feet black. 



Total length 9-50 inches, wing 3-70, culmen -90, tarsus 1-25, 



Adult female similar to the male. 



