236 RUFOUS -WINGED SHRIKE. 



tion naturally to be expected from the extreme 

 shortness of its wings, which do not extend beyond 

 the upper covers of the tail, and are much shorter 

 than those below. The tail itself, on the other 

 hand, is long and cuneated, as in all the species of 

 Telophonus. So that the size of the bird, although 

 not larger than that of our Lanius Collurio is yet 

 much longer. 



The plumage of the adult male is as follows : 

 The upper part of the head down to just beyond 

 the nape is deep black, which is margined on each 

 side by a broad stripe of white tinged with buff, 

 which commences at the nostrils, passes over the 

 eye, and terminates above the ears ; this is followed 

 by a black stripe, much narrower, which is before 

 the eye and behind it, but does not tinge the ear 

 feathers; these latter, with the whole of the plu- 

 mage above, is light testaceous tinged with grey on 

 the lower back, rump, and middle tail-feathers. 

 The scapulars and tertials are black with a very 

 broad external margin of deep buff or cinereous, 

 while the whole of the wing-covers and outer web 

 of the primaries and secondaries are clear and bright 

 rufous. The four pair of lateral tail-feathers are 

 deep black, more or less tipt with white ; the mid- 

 dle pair and the outer portion of the next are grey 

 with transverse dark shades, resembling bars. The 

 under plumage is entirely white, but tinged with 

 grey on the sides, and with cream colour on the 

 belly, thighs, and under tail -covers. 



The female, according to Le Yaillant, is less 



