PASSERINE BIRDS OF CEYLON. 101 



felted with cobwebs to the top of a branch, or in a fork high up 

 in the tree. The three eggs are pale green, marked with 

 brown and purple, and measure about 1 • 22 by '9. 



Sub-family Artaminee. 



Genus Artamus. 



Swallow Shrikes. 



These are birds of rather swallow-like form with long wings, 

 which enable them to spend much of their time in the air. 

 They feed on insects, which they capture invariably on the 

 wing. They are easily recognized by the strong conical pale 

 blue bill, which is slightly curved and pointed, but neither 

 hooked nor notched. The nostril is nearly circular and 

 almost entirely exposed. The first primary is very minute, 

 but the second reaches to the tip of the wing. The tail is 

 short and square ; the legs and feet weak. The plumage is 

 plain, and there is no difference between the sexes. Swallow 

 Shrikes are found from India to Australia. Only one species 

 occurs in Ceylon. 



Artamus fusctjs. 



Tht Ashy Swallow Shrike. 



Artamus fuscus (Gates, Vol. I., p. 498 ; Legge, p. 666). 



Description. — Lores black ; head and hind-neck slate gray ; 

 back, scapulars, and rump smoky-brown, with a slight reddish 

 tinge in fresh specimens ; upper tail coverts whitish ; wings 

 and wing coverts dark slate gvd,y, the larger primaries almost 

 dull brown on the exposed portions, all the quills with a very 

 narrow whitish margin on the tips and inner webs ; tail dark 

 gray, almost brown, with a whitish tip ; chin, cheeks, and 

 fore-neck slate gray, the chin and cheeks tinged with black ; 

 lower parts from the chest downwards dove gray with a 

 vinaceous tinge, paling to white on the inner tail coverts, 

 which are crossed with narrow, wavy, gray ba.rs. 



In young birds the upper plumage is duller, and the feathers 

 have faint paler margins ; the secondaries and inner primaries 

 have broad white tips. 



Bill milky-blue, blackish at the tip ; iris dark brown ; legs 

 and feet slate colour. 



