WOODCHAT SHRIKE. 233 



lurio from the sub-genus of Lamm proper, has 

 been made in ignorance of the typical structure of 

 the latter ; and, in our opinion, is sanctioned by 

 no one valid reason, either in natural or artificial 

 classification. 



CORVINE, OR LONG-TAILED SHRIKK 

 Lanius cissoides* Vi BILLOT. 



Light brown, striped with blackish ; beneath, dusky white 

 with obscure spots ; tail long, curvated ; bill bright yellow ; 

 flanks with a concealed chestnut spot. 



Le Grande Pie-grieche, Le Vaitt. Ois. d'A/rique, ii. pi. 78 

 L. cissoides, Vieitt. Encyc. Meih., 734, No.24. L. Corvinus, 

 Shaw, Gent. Zool. 7, 2, p. 337 Corvine Shrike of authors. 



IT is difficult to imagine why this bird, which has 

 all the essential characters of a true Shrike, should 

 have been likened by Linnaean writers to a crow ; 

 unless, indeed, from its being somewhat larger in 

 size than its immediate congeners. The name, how- 

 ever, not having the right of priority, may be can- 

 celled. 



The Long-tailed Shrike was first recorded by Le 

 Vaillant in his Birds of Africa, but he has intro- 

 duced it without knowing from whence it came, an 

 innovation upon the title of his work, which is very 

 frequent in its early volumes. We can now, how- 



