AVES. 531 



Sp. Lanius excubitor L., BUFF. PL enl. 445, LESS. Ornith. PI. 45, fig. i, 

 NAUM. Taf. 49; the cinereous shrike, la pie-grieche, der graue Wurger, 

 grey above, white below, the middle of the tail, the wings and a streak on 

 each side of the bill over the eyes black; Lanius collurio L., BUFF. PI. 

 enl. 31, fig. i fern., 2 male, NAUM. Taf. 52; the red-backed shrike, der 

 rothriickige Wurger; back and wings cinnamon-brown, head of male grey, 

 the third flag-feather the longest, &c. Most of the species are birds of 

 passage in Europe. These birds are very predaceous ; they feed on beetles, 

 grasshoppers, &c. ; on small birds also and mice, and attach their prey to 

 branches or transfix it, especially the insects, on thorns. They all build 

 a moderately artistic nest, and lay from 5 to 7 yellow-white or light-green 

 eggs, which have darker spots, especially at the obtuse end. 



Telephone SWAINS. Bill moderate or a little longer than head, 

 much compressed, curved, with culmen produced amongst the plumes 

 of forehead. Wings short, with fourth and fifth quills longest of 

 all. Tail broad, graduated, long. 



Sp. Lanius erythropterus SHAW, BUFF. PI. enl. 479, fig. i, Tchagra LEVAILL., 

 Senegal; Lanius cucullatusTEMM.., SUSEMIHL Vog. Europa's, n. Tab. 17, 

 fig. 2, Spain, &c. (This sub-genus is in the wings, &c. more aberrant 

 from the type of the Lanii than the others. Upon this the following 

 genus closes, which has very long tarsi.) 



Malaconotus SWAINS., Laniarius VIEILL., BONAP. Bill mode- 

 rate or shorter than head, much compressed, with culmen somewhat 

 curved, tip curved, produced beyond the lower mandible, which is 

 shorter. Tarsi long. Wings with fourth, fifth and sixth quills 

 longest of all. Tail mostly long, rounded. 



Sp. Malaconotus barbarus, Lanius barbarus L., BUFF. PL enl. 56, SWAINS. 

 Birds of W. Afr. i. PI. 24, Senegal; Malaconotus torquatus, Lanius 

 gutturalis BAUD., Diet. univ. tfHist. Nat., Ois., PI. 2 A, fig. 2 ; South 

 Africa, c. 



Sub-genus Dryoscopus BOIE, BONAP. Sp. Malaconotus mollissimus 

 SWAINS., Lanius gambensis LICHTENST., SWAINS. Birds of W. Afr. i. PI. 

 23, &c. 



Note. Lanius bicolor L., BUFF. PL enl. 298, fig. i, scarcely of this 

 genus, differs by the tail shorter and the third and fourth quill-feathers 

 subequal, longest of all. 



Pachycephala SWAINS. Bill moderate or short, thick, with 

 culmen curved, compressed towards the tip, emarginate. Bristles 

 at the angle of mouth. Tarsi somewhat long, scutellate anteriorly. 

 Wings with fourth and fifth quills longest of all. Tail even or 

 subrotundate. 



342 



