the Western Coast of the Red Sea. 205 



7. Cercotrichas podobe (P. L, S. Mtill.) ; Sliarpe^ Cat. 

 B. Brit. Mus. vii. p. 83 (1883). 



The African Ground -Robin was met witli on Mount 

 Shelal, on the 29th of January. This specimen^ tlie only 

 one I saAv^ was very shy. When it caught sight of nie it 

 darted down to the ground under a thick bush, and I had to 

 wait some time before it showed itself again. It was very 

 restless, hopping quickly about the bush. 



8. Argya ACACi.i: (Licht.) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii. 

 p. 397 (1883). 



An adult of the Nubian Babbler shot at Haddai, on the 

 12th of February, 1896. Mr. Blanford very rarely saw 

 this bird in Abyssinia, but from what lie observed of it, it 

 had precisely the habits and appearance of A. caudatus of 

 India. It was not uncommon, as I saw it in pairs and 

 small flocks of five or six, at several places in the Erba 

 Mountains and on the coast, and its note was often to be 

 heard. On being approached, these birds always got to the 

 far side of the bush, and flew close to the ground to another 

 bush a little distance off. The one shot was on the ground 

 when I first saw it, but I could not see what it was feeding 

 on. The skin was tough and thick, and had a very strong 

 smell. 



9. Lanius fallax, Finsch ; Gadow, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 

 viii. p. 247, pl.viii. (1883). 



An adult of Finsch's Grey Shrike shot at Mount Shelal, 

 on the 29th of January, 189G, has the black band across the 

 bases of the upper mandible well defined, the basal two- 

 thirds of the inner Aveb of the penultimate pair of tail-feathers 

 entirely black, and the secondaries widely tipped and mar- 

 gined on the inner web with white. 



A quite young specimen was also procured at Sawakin 

 Khadim on the 19th of January, 1896. It has the general 

 colour of the upper parts dull earthy grey, and the black 

 band across the forehead absent, though the characteristic 

 markings of the adult arc clearly shown in the wings and 

 tail. 



