384 On some Specimens of Central- Asiatic Shrikes. 



derlik. Many specimens of tlie Shrikes in my own and 

 Mr. Severtzov's collections are probably the results of 

 hybridization between other well-defined species, but I 

 prefer to describe and figure these Shrikes in my ' Orni- 

 thologie du Turkestan.' I may here mention that Lanius 

 raddei (Dress.) is, in my opinion, one of these hybiids in 

 very worn plumage. 



XXXIII. — Remarks on some Specimens of Central- Asiatic 

 Shrikes. By H. E. Dresser, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



I AM greatly indebted to the courtesy of Professor Menzbier 

 for an opportunity of examining the specimens which he has 

 just described under the names oi La?iiusfunereus and Lanius 

 dichrourus, and for being able to compare them with some 

 specimens that I have on loan and with others in my own 

 collection. As regards the former, it appears to me to be a 

 fairly distinguishable form of Lanius mollis; and if, as Prof. 

 Menzbier states, the two forms have a different geographical 

 range, be is, in my opinion, justified in separating them. 

 The chief points of difference appear to me to be that L.fu- 

 nereus is, in adult plumage, greyer and less tinged with buff 

 than L. mollis, and has the upper tail-coverts with a distinct 

 subterminal black band, whereas in L. mollis the upper tail- 

 coverts are huffy grey, without any band. Moreover there 

 is much less white on the tail in L.funereus than in L. mollis, 

 the former having the basal half or twd thirds of the outer 

 rectrices black, whereas in the male Lanius mollis more than 

 half of the inner web, and in the female nearly the whole of 

 the feather, is white. It would, however, be advisable to 

 examine a larger series before deciding this question, for 

 these Shrikes are subject to no small amount of variation, as 

 I have observed even in the few that I have examined. I may 

 here remark that I have on loan the female specimen from the 

 river Lepsa referred to by Prof. Menzbier, and that it appears 

 to be referable to his L. funereus, as it has much less white 

 on the tail than L. mollis, and the upper tail-coverts are 

 marked Avith a very distinct subterminal blackish band. I 



