LANIANA. 145 
The female sometimes wants the black forehead and stripe 
over the eyes. 
The Bay-backed Shrike is generally spread throughout the 
district, frequenting low thorny jungle, groves of young babool 
trees, gardens, hedges, Wc. 
It is a permanent resident, breeding from April to September, 
but June and July are the months in which most nests are to be 
found; they are generally built in forks of small trees, and are 
firm, compact, deep, well-woven cups, composed of fine twigs, 
grass roots, wool, rags, &c. 
The eggs, four in number, are miniatures of the preceding, 
but the markings are perhaps paler. 
They measure 0°82 inches in length by 0°36 in breadth. 
Lanius collurio, Lin. 
260bis.—Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. III, p. 463. 
THE EuROP£AN RED-BACKED SHRIKE. 
Length, 7°5 ; wing, 3°5; tail, 3:5; tarsus, 0°96; bill at front, 
0°56; bill from gape, 0°81. 
Bill black, paler at base of lower mandible ; irides dark brown ; 
legs black. 
A conspicuous black streak from the nostrils, widening so as to 
include the whole of the lores, eyes and ear-coverts; the fore- 
head and the whole top and back of the head, between the 
black stripes, pale grey, darkening on the occiput and nape ; 
scapulars and interscapulary region brownish-chesnut ; lower 
back duller and more rusty ; rump and upper tail-coverts light 
grey, the feathers just perceptibly darker shafted ; wings hair- 
brown ; primaries and their coverts very narrowly, and secondaries 
and tertiaries very broadly margined with dull pale and 
bright rusty-chesnut respectively; the tail black, all but the 
central tail-feathers white at their bases, and the external 
feathers on each side 0-4 shorter than the others, narrowly 
tipped white and with nearly the whole of their outer webs 
white ; the entire under parts white, but the breast, abdomen, 
sides, and flanks with a rich vinaceous tinge. 
There is a small white spot at the base of the fourth long 
primary on the outer web, only visible, however, when the larger- 
coverts are somewhat deranged. 
The European Red-backed Shrike was discovered by Major 
Butler in the neighbourhood of Deesa, during the latter part’ of 
the rains in September, 1874. 
This is the only instance on record of the occurrence of the bird 
within the Indian Empire. 
Lanius cristatus, Zin. 
261.—Jerdon’s Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 406; Butler, Guzerat: 
Stray Feathers, Vol. III, p. 464; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 
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