204 



Length. 9*5 to'io inches ; wing 4-25 ; tail 4-5 to 5 ; bill at front O'62. 



Hab. India generally, Sind, Beloochistan, Southern Persia, Affghanistan, 

 Punjab, N.-W. Provinces, Bengal, Deccan, Concan, Kutch, Kattiawar, Joclhpore 

 (Rajputana generally), North Guzerat and Khandeish. 



Breeds from February to July, but the majority lay during March and April. 

 The nest is generally a compact structure, heavy, deep and cup-shaped, and is 

 placed generally at a height of from 4 to 12 feet from the ground in some 

 thorny acacia or other thorny shrub. The nest is composed of very various 

 materials, as grass, grass roots, sheep's wool or vegetable fibres, and lined with 

 rags, feathers and other soft material. The number of eggs is from 3 to 6 ; 

 but 4 5 is the usual number. Typically, Hume says, the eggs are of a broad 

 oval shape, more or less pointed towards one end ; the ground colour is a deli- 

 cate greenish white, over which are thickly and prettily speckled blotches, 

 spots and lines of brown and purplish markings ; in some these form zones at 

 the larger end. Size 0*9 to 1-17 inch x o'75 100*83. 



701. LaniUS tephronotUS (Vigors), Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 290; 

 Blyth, J. A. S. B. xv. p. 301 ; id., Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 151 ; Jcrd. B. 

 Jnd. i. p. 403, No. 258; Godw.- Austen, J. A. S. B. p. 99; and 1875, 

 p. 93; Hume, Sir. F. 1874, p. 475 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 260; 

 Oates, B. Br. Burm. i. p. 249. Collurio tephronotus, Vigors, P.Z.S. 1831, 

 p. 43 ; JBp. Rev. et Zool Mag. 1853, p. 435; Hume, Nests and Eggs, 

 Ind. B. p. 171. Lanius nipalensis, Hodgs., Ind. Rev. i. p. 445. The 

 GREY-BACKED SHRIKE. 



Head, nape, upper back and scapulars ashy, the latter washed with rufous ; 

 the lower back and upper tail coverts slightly rufescent ; a narrow band on 

 the forehead (not always present), and a broad streak passing through the 

 eye and ear coverts black ; cheeks white ; wing coverts black, the lesser series 

 washed with grey, the greater series and quills narrowly margined with buffy 

 white ; primaries with a white spot at the base, but completely hidden by the 

 wing coverts ; tail dull brown, the central pair darker and obscurely tipped 

 with fulvous, this colour increasing in extent on the outer feathers, which are 

 also tipped and edged with fulvous ; throat and centre of the body white ; 

 sides of the body and under tail coverts orange, inclining to buff ; thighs ashy 

 white; under wing coverts creamy white. Bill and feet black ; iris dark brown. 



Young and immature birds have the cheeks, sides of the neck, breast and 

 flanks barred with brown. 



Length. 9 to 9'8 inches; wing 4-05 to 4*27; tail 4-8 to 5; tarsus ri; 

 culmen 075. 



Hab. Throughout Lower Bengal, thence extending to the Himalayas from 

 Nepaul to Bhootan, and eastwards to Assam ami Arrakan. It is also recorded 

 from Sikkim and Upper Burmah, and Cashmere in the valley of Astor. 



