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with two or three other birds, Which we will notice hereafter. 
These warning notes, and temporary anxiety for their safety, has 
saved many a shikarie’s life. Not afew birds show a desire for pro- 
tecting the weak against the strong. Head of the True Shrike is 
large. It has a conspicuous black eye-streak; wings long; rictal 
bristles ample; tail longish and graduated. The sexes of Lanius, 
are alike in colour. Very few of these Shrikes come up to our 
elevation either to breed or to escape the inclement weather, else- 
where. Most of the species prefer the warm valleys. The species 
more frequently observed in Darjeeling is :— 
(258) LANIUS TEPHRONOTUS, Grey-hacked Shrike. It is seen 
oftener in winter, in Darjeeling. It flies fairly high and keeps a 
good deal to the tops of taller trees, excepting when foraging. 
Small birds have a marked dread of this Shrike, quite as much as 
the kestrel, whose voice it appears to imitate. It is 10 inches in 
length. It can generally be made out by its dark ashy colour, above ; 
wings and tail are dusky brown; foreneck, breast and upper part 
of the abdomen white; ferruginous below; reddish on upper tail 
coverts and lower back; head, scapulars and back dark ashy grey. 
The black, eye-streak prevalent in this group is not so prominent in 
this species. 
(256) Lanrus Lantora, Lndian Grey Shrike, which, was men- 
tioned in the introductory remarks, is more at home at a lower 
altitude. It has a wide geographical distribution and is found in 
: 5 Ts © 499 : 
most places in the plains. The © Butcher bird” as lahtora is com- 
monly called is about 10 inches in length; bluish or iron-grey in 
colour; wings are black also the middle tail feathers; wings have a 
broad white band. 
Sun-Famity MALACONOTINA,, (/Vood Shrikes) 
Are more arboreal in their habits; they are seldom or ever seen 
on the ground, like Laniws when making a capture. Their bills are 
longer and more compressed ; wings longer than the true shrikes ; 
tail shorter; tarsus short; feet small and feeble. These shrikes 
feed on insects, occasionally on berries. 
(263) TEPHRODORNIS PELVICA, Nepal ood Shrike, is rarely seen 
in Darjeeling. It is more frequently met with in the woods, beside 
Runjeet and Teesta rivers. This wood-shrike is nearly 9 inches in 
length. It is pale ashy brown in colour, above; darker on the pri- 
maries and tail. It has a fairly conspicuous, white lower back 
