144 LANIAN.E. 



ferruginous ; wing black ; edge of the wing, and a small spot 

 near the base of the primaries, white ; tail, with the four 

 central feathers, black, the outer feathers reddish-cineraceous, 

 edged and tipped paler or whitish ; beneath white, ferruginous 

 on the flanks and under tail-coverts. 



The Rufous-backed Shrike is common throughout the district, 

 and is a permanent resident, breeding from May to August, but 

 occasionally nests are found much earlier; they are generally 

 built in babool trees, and are compact, deep, cup-shaped 

 structures, composed of the same materials as the last. 



The eggs, from four to six in number, are miniatures of 

 those of L. lahtora. They measure 0'92 inches in length by 

 071 in breadth. 



Lanius nigriceps, Franklin. 



259. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 404. 



THE BLACK-HEADED SHRIKE. 



Length, 9'2 to 1 "3 ; expanse, 11 to 12; wing, 3 '6 to 375 ; 

 tail, 475 to 5*25 ; tarsus, 1/16 ; bill from gape, 1 ; bill at front, 

 0-65. 



Bill black ; irides deep brown ; legs brown-black. 



Head above, nape, wings and tail, black ; upper part of back 

 ashy ; lower back, scapulars, rump and upper tail-coverts, rufous ; 

 beneath the throat, breast and middle of the abdomen white ; 

 sides of abdomen, vent, and lower tail-coverts, rufous. 



Jerdon in his Birds of India states : " I have seen it in Goomsoor 

 but not further south ; and from this it ranges in land into the nor- 

 thern part of Central India." 



Lanius vittatus, Palenc. 



260. Lanius hardivicJdi, Vigors. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. 

 I, p. 405; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 463; 

 Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 392 ; Murray's Vertebrate 

 Zoology of Sind, p. 121 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; 

 Ibis, 1885, p. 65. 



THE BAY-BACKED SHRIKE. 



Length, 7'25 to 8 ; expanse, 10 ; wing, 8'25 ; tail, 3 '2 5 to 4 ; 

 tarsus, 07to 0'8 ; bill at front, 0'5. 



Bill black ; irides hazel-brown ; legs black. 



The whote forehead, with eye-stripe, continued to the nape, 

 black ; top of the head white ; back of head, nape and the 

 lower part of the back, whitish-grey, paler and almost white on 

 the upper tail-coverts ; middle of the back and scapulars deep 

 chesnutor bay ; wings and tail black, the former with a wing-spot 

 on the primaries, and the latter with the two outermost tail- 

 feathers on each side and base, and tips of the others (except the 

 four central) white ; body beneath, white, tinged with fulvescent 

 ou the breast, and the sides of the abdomen dark ferruginous. 



