272 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Juvenile. — Like that of L. s. senator but without white at base 

 of outer five or six primaries and with less white at base of tail- 

 feathers. 



First winter. — Like L. s. senator but without white at base of 

 outer five or six primaries, less white at base of tail and first winter 

 feathers of mantle apparently rather darker. 



Measurements. — (^ wing 96-104 mm. (larger on average than 

 L. s. senator), tail 78-85, tarsus 23-35, bill from feathers on culmen 

 13-15 (12 measured). Structure as in L. s. senator. 



Breeding-habits. — ^Similar to those of Woodchat, but perhaps 

 nests more often in bramble thickets and bushes. Nest. — Also 

 similar. Eggs. — Slightly larger on average, but similar in type : 

 erythristie sets about 4 or 5 per cent. Average of 60 eggs, 

 23.1x17.27. Breeding-season. — L'^sually about fourth week in 

 May in Corsica. 



Distribution. — England. — One, Romney Marsh (Kent), June 29, 

 1909 {ut supra). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia and 

 Capraia and near Lazio (Italy), wintering in west Africa (Gold 

 Coast. Nigeria), passing through Tunisia and Algeria, casual 

 Madeira. 



LANIUS NUBICUS 



115. Lanius nubicus Licht. — THE MASKED SHRIKE. 



Lanius ntjbicus Lichtenstein, Verz. Doubl. Mus. Berlin, p. 47 (1823 — 



Nubia). 



Lanius nubicus, Nicoll, Bull. B.O.C., xvi, p. 22 ; Saunders, Brit. B., i, 



p. 11. 



Description. — Adult male. Win- 

 ter. — Fore-head and broad stripe 

 over eye white ; crown, nape, 

 mantle, back and rump glossy 

 black, some feathers of lower 

 mantle and back with small buff 

 tips and feathers of rump with 

 greyish-white bases showing here 

 and there ; scapulars white ; 



upper tail-coverts glossy-black The Masked Sbrlke {Lanius milieus). 



tipped and margined on outer 6 ^duit. 



webs white ; lores dusky ; ear- 

 coverts brown-black ; chin, throat, centre of belly and under tail- 

 coverts white ; breast, sides and flanks rusty-chestnut ; axillaries and 

 most under Aving-coverts white but those covering primaries dusky- 



