380 Prof. Menzbier on new or IHtle-known 



coverts ferruginous, the under ones ochraceous; all parts 

 but the back Avith transverse vermiculations, less developed 

 on the chin and crown of the head. Tail-feathers brownish 

 black, with white as in the adult, but less developed and 

 washed with very pale rufous. Quills dirty blackish brown ; 

 basal portion of the primaries rufous white, producing a 

 small alar speculum; secondaries edged on the tips with 

 pale ferruginous ; upper wing-coverts blackish brown, edged 

 with ferruginous ; under wing-coverts and axillaries blackish 

 brown, with ferruginous edges on the lesser ones ; a patch 

 before the eye and ear-coverts blackish brown. Bill horn- 

 brown ; feet brown. 



The description of the nestling-plumage is taken from a 

 specimen obtained by Mr. Karelin on the river Irtysh in July 

 1844, Mr. Bogdanow described this as a young specimen 

 of L. mollis, but, judging from the blackish-brown ear- 

 coverts and axillaries, it is undoubtedly a nestling of L. fu- 

 nereus. I am much indebted to the Director of the Zoological 

 Museum of the St. Petersburg Academy, Mr. Pleske, who 

 was kind enough to send me this specimen for comparison. 



I have in my own collection a nestling of L. funereus 

 moulting into the first adult plumage. In general colour it 

 is greyer than the specimen obtained by Mr. Karelin, but 

 no other difference exists between them. On the breast 

 many of the adult feathers are more vinaceous than in the 

 adult. I possess no female of L. funereus, but I have no 

 doubt that the specimen obtained by Mr. Karelin on the 

 river Lepsa (Semiretchje), and described by Mr. Bogdanow 

 as a female of L. mollis, is L. funereus, because we find in 

 the description of the late Russian ornithologist that the 

 lonffest upper iail-coverts of this female are greyish rufous, 

 broadly tipped with black. That the young Shrike obtained 

 by Mr. Karelin near the river Irtysh, and determined by 

 Mr. Bogdanow as L. mollis, belongs to L. funereus I have 

 already stated. I think, likewise, that a young Shrike with 

 undeveloped quills, obtained by General Prjevalski near the 

 river Zanma, in the eastern Thian-Shan, must be referred to 

 L. funereus, the ear-coverts of this specimen (figured on 



