i. \\rus. 



The Grey Shrikes, of which there are four representatives in India, 

 are very numerous and are not easily distinguished. The four 

 Indian species, however'^ are sufficiently distinct and may be 

 recognized without difficulty. 



Tiio following species may hereafter be found to occur within our 

 limits : (1) L. minor, a small species with the lower plumage in the 

 adult tinged with pink, and with a very small first primary, less than 

 a t liird of the length of the second. Swinhoe obtained this species 

 at Kandahar. (2) L. yrimmi, a pale desert form, very light ashy 

 grey above, the lores whitish and the eye-band pale brown ; the 

 tail white at the base as in L. homeyeri ; the basal halves of the inner 

 webs of the secondaries white, the remainder of each feather brown, 

 not black. A specimen was obtained by Elan ford at Bahu Kelat 

 in Persian Baluchistan, in February. Other forms may not im- 

 probably be found in Sind and the Punjab, as the Shrikes are great 

 wanderers, but space will not allow of their being noticed here. 



469. Lanius lahtora. The Indian Grey Shrike. 



Collurio lahtora, Sykes, P. Z. 8. 1832, p. 86 ; Gray $ Hardw. Ill Ind. 



Zool. ii, pi. 32 ; 'Hume, S. F. i, p. 174 ; id. N. $ E. p. 165. 

 Lanius lahtora (Sykes), Blytli, Cat. p. 151 ; Horsf. fy M. Cat. i, p. 10.3 ; 



JenL B. I. i, p. 400; Stoliczka, J. A. 8. B. xli, pt. ii, p. 235; 

 Butler, 8. F. iii, p. 402 ; Ball, S. F. vii, p. 209 ; Hume, Cat. no. 

 250 ; Barnes, S. F. ix, p. 216 ; Gadow, Cat. B. M. viii, p. 252 ; 



Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 143 j Gates in Humes N. fy E. 2nd ed. i'. 

 p. 306. 



Dudiya latora, Hind. ; Safcd latora, Hind, in the N.W.: Kacl\-l;nclin- 

 , Beng. : Chinka belUnchi, Pedda kiriti-yadu, Tel. 



Fig. 139 Head of L. lahtora. 



Coloration. Forehead, lores, and a broad band through the eye 

 and ear-coverts down the side of the neck black, th<3 frontal portion 

 indistinctly margined with white above; upper plumage bluish 

 grey, paler on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; scapulars white ; 

 the middle two pairs of tail-feathers black with narrow white tips ; 

 the next two pairs very narrowly white at base and broadly white 

 at tip ; the outer two pairs white, with the shafts and some small 

 portions of the webs near them black ; wing-coverts black, the 

 lesser scries tipped with grey; primaries with the basal half white, 



