LANIUS. 461 



bristles over the nostrils and to a very narrow band at the base of 

 the upper mandible ; in having the inner webs of the secondaries 

 blackish brown margined vvith white and the lower plumage tinged 

 with ashy ; in having the upper plumage paler grey ; and in having 

 the lesser wing-coverts entirely grey. 



Of the same size as L. lahtora. 



From L. assimilis this species differs in having the inner webs of 

 the secondaries almost entirely brown and in having the upper 

 plumage darker. 



L. assimilis and L. fallax are very closely allied, but there is no 

 difficulty in separating the two, if the inner webs of the secondaries 

 be examined. Neither of them can possibly be confounded with 

 L. lahtora, the colour of the lesser wing-coverts being sufficient at 

 all ages to distinguish the latter from the other two. 



Distribution. I have examined the four birds procured in Abyssinia 

 by Jesse and named L. fallax by Finsch. To the same species must 

 be referred a Shrike procured by Blanford at Gwadar in Baluchistan 

 in December, and another procured by Lieut. Burgess, probably in 

 the Dec-can. T have not been able to examine any other specimens 

 collected within our limits. 



L. fallax occurs in Abyssinia and Nubia, Palestine, Mesopotamia, 

 Muscat, and Afghanistan. 



472. Lanius homeyeri. Homeyer's Grey Shrike. 



Lanius homeyeri, Cabanis, Journ. fur Orn. 1873, p. 75 ; Severtzoff, 

 S. F. iii, p. 430 ; Scully, S. jP.hr, p. 136 ; Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, 

 p. 51 ; Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 432 j Gadow, Cat. B. M. viii, p. 242. 



Coloration. Forehead, nasal plumes, and a narrow supercilium 

 white ; anterior part of lores white, posterior part and a band to 

 the end of the ear-coverts black ; upper plumage pale grey ; scapu- 

 lars, lower rump, and upper tail-coverts white ; the middle pair of 

 tail-feathers white for one third of their length at the base, then 

 black with a narrow white tip ; the next two pairs with more 

 white at base and broader white tips ; the remaining feathers 

 nearly entirely white ; lesser wing-coverts grey ; the outer coverts 

 black ; primaries and secondaries broadly white at base on both 

 webs, then black with indistinct white tips ; tertiaries wholly black ; 

 lower plumage white with, in most cases, traces of wavy bars on 

 the breast. 



Upper mandible black, the edge whitish at gape ; lower mandible 

 black at tip, whitish horny at base; legs, feet, and claws black 

 (Scully). 



Length about 10 ; tail 4-7 ; wing 4'6 ; tarsus !! ; bill from 

 gape 1-05. 



This species is closely allied to L. excubitor of Europe, from which 

 it differs in having more white on the lores, wings, and tail. 



Distribution. Gilgit, on migration in spring and autumn. 



This species is found in Turkestan in winter, and it extends 

 westwards to Russia and northwards to Siberia. 



