206 LANIID^E, 



Common, in Sind and the Malabar Coast, also the Neilgherries, and the better 

 portion of the Carnatic and Central India, as well as Lower Bengal. It is 

 recorded from all parts of Sind, from Murree, Kotegurh, Cashmere, Rajkote, 

 Kamptee, and the Concan and Deccan. It breeds, at least the majority of 

 the birds, in N.-W. Himalayas, the Neilgherries, Pulneys, Arrakan hills and the 

 Rajmahal hills. March to July, and often very late in August, is the period. 

 4 to 6 eggs is the usual number, and the colouring is not unlike that of 

 Lanius tephronotus. In length the eggs vary from 093 to ro inch, and in 

 breadth 0.7 to 072. 



It will be seen that I do not admit L. caniceps to specific rank. It is only 

 a paler species, and the amount of rufous varies so much in birds from the 

 Malabar Coast, the Deccan and the Neilgherries, that placed alongside in 

 a line of 40 or more specimens from different parts of India, no very distinct 

 character can be obtained. Caniceps is only in my estimation a climatic 

 race, and no more. 



703. LaniUS nigriceps (Franld.), Jerd., B. Ind. \. p. 404, No. 259 ; 

 id., III. Ind. Orn. pi. 17 ; Blyth, B. Burm. p. 121 ; Dav., et. Oust. Ois. 

 Chine, p. 95 ; Anders., Yunnan, Exp., p. 644 ; Hume and Dav., vi. p. 202 ; 

 Cripps, Str. F. vii. p. 268; Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 91 ; Scully, Str. F. viii. 

 p. 264 ; Oates, Sir. F. x. p. 199. Collurio nigriceps, FrankL, P. Z. S. 1831, 

 p. 117. Lanius tricolor, Hodgs., Ind. Rev. 1837, P- 44^- Collyrio nigriceps, 

 Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 172. Lanius nasutus (Scop.), Oa'tes, B. Er. 

 Burm.'i. p. 248. The BLACK-HEADED SHRIKE. 



The whole head from forehead to nape, also the lores and feathers behind 

 the eye, black ; feathers immediately below the nape ashy ; cheeks and sides of 

 the head black ; back, scapulars, rump and upper tail coverts chestnut ; central 

 pair of tail feathers black ; the rest brown, becoming successively more and 

 more rufous towards the outside, \rhere they are broadly edged and tipped 

 with pale rufous ; chin and throat white ; breast and abdomen tinged with 

 rufous ; flanks, vent and under tail coverts bright rufous ; wing coverts black ; 

 quills brown, edged with rufous, the primaries with a patch of light fulvous at 

 the base ; iris dull reddish brown ; eyelids pinkish plumbeous. Bill dark homy 

 black ; legs dark brown. 



Length. 9-5 to 97 inches ; wing 3-8 ; tail 5 ; tarsus 1-2 ; culmen o - 8 ; from 

 gape i. 



ffab. The Himalayas, from Nepaul to Bhootan, and from the foot of the 

 hills through Purneah and Dinajpore to Calcutta and the Sunderbuns, extend- 

 ing eastwards into Assam, Arrakan, and even to China and the Phillipines. 

 Jerdon says he saw it at Goomsor and that from there it ranges into the 

 northern part of Central India. The Rajmahal hills and Darjeeling are also 

 recorded localities. According to Gates it is generally distributed over Pegu 



