186 Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 
vailing form in East Siberia. In America probably only 
pure-bred L. borealis, Vieill., occurs ; whilst in Asia pure- 
bred birds of both species, and every possible cross and inter- 
cross between them, are to be found. 
Another species allied to L. excubitor, Linn., appears to 
be L. fallax, Finsch, differing in being somewhat smaller in 
size, darker in the colour of the upper parts, and in having 
the white on the primaries and sccondaries more developed 
but nevertheless not extending over the entire inside webs of 
any of the secondaries. Dresser and Sharpe apparently in- 
clude this species in their L. lahtora, Sykes ; but it does not 
seem to possess the narrow black frontal line. From skins 
in the British Museum and in Dresser’s collection I conclude 
the geographical range of L. fallax, Finsch, to be Abyssinia, 
Nubia, Egypt, Palestine, Euphrates valley, Baluchistan, and_ 
the Punjaub, in which latter district it is found in company 
with L. lahtora, Sykes. I strongly suspect that the “ ZL. leu- 
copygius, Hempr.” apud Severtz., will also prove to be L. 
fallax, Finsch, since the skin which Finsch brought from the 
_ Irtish appears to be of the latter species, though larger in size 
_ . than usual. Since the geographical ranges of all the Grey 
Shrikes more or less overlap each other, | should not be sur- 
prised to learn that in many cases where two forms inhabit 
the same district they habitually interbreed. In that case 
one of the forms thus interbreeding would have to be de- 
graded to the rank of a subspecies ; but until intermediate : 
forms are found, we must, I think; consider them as closely 
allied but distinct species, and not lump three or four of them | 
together, as Sharpe and Dresser appear to me to have done. 
Lantus sPHENOCERCUs, Cab. 
This Shrike is fairly figured in David and Oustalet’s ‘Oiseaux 
de la Chine,’ plate 76. It. appears to breed in Eastern Siberia 
(Tacz. Journ. f. Orn. 1876, p. 198), to pass through Mongolia 
onmigration (Prjev. Rowl. Orn. Mise. ii. p. 273),and to winter 
in China (David et Oustal. Ois. Chine, p. 93). 
Lanius cristatus, Linn. 
Mr. Kibort has sent me three skins of the adult: and two 
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