PASSERINE BIRDS OF CEYLON. 93 



Distribution. — A common migrant during the north-east 

 monsoon. It spreads over nearly all parts of the Island, but 

 is most numerous near the sea, especially in the dry zone. 

 The species has a wide range, bresding in Tibet, Mongolia, 

 and Siberia, and wintering in Southern Asia, from Southern 

 China to India. 



Habits. — Found in scrub land, hedgerows, the borders of 

 jungle, &c. A restless bird, perching on the tops of bushes 

 and uttering a harsh ill-tempered cry. It feeds chiefly on 

 insects, especially grasshoppers, but occasionally takes small 

 birds. 



Lanius lucionensis. 



The Philippine Shrike. 



Lanius lucionensis (Gates, Vol. I., p. 469 ; Legge, p. 378). 



Description. — Adult male : The forehead, the front of the 

 crown, and a streak over the eye grajdsh-white ; a broad 

 black band from the nostrils through the eye to the ear coverts ; 

 hinder part of crown, back, scapulars, and sides of neck grayish- 

 brown ; rump and upper tail coverts more rufous ; wing 

 coverts and quills blackish-brown with pale rufous edgings, 

 broadest on the innermost quills ; tail feathers rufous-brown, 

 with paler margins ; chin, throat, and sides of neck white ; 

 rest of lower parts pale buff. 



In females the black streak through the eye is smaller and 

 the under parts paler. 



In young birds the upper parts are brownish -rufous with 

 faint dark bars on the plumage ; the lower parts are wavily 

 barred with brown. 



The tip of the bill and most of the upper mandible dark 

 brown, remainder paler ; iris brown ; legs and feet dull 

 lead blue. 



Length 8 ; wing 3 • 5 ; tail 3 • 5 ; tarsus • 9 ; bill from 

 gape '87. 



Distribution. — A very rare north-east monsoon migrant ; 

 it appears to have been seen in Nuwara Eliya and one or two 

 other localities, and there is a fine specimen in the Colombo 

 Museum taken at Haldummulla in February, 1906. This 

 Shrike breeds in Northern China and winters chiefly in the 



