146 MALACONOTIN2E. 



IX, p. 392 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 122 ; 



Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; Ibis, 1885, p. 66. 

 THE BROWN SHRIKE. 



Length, 7'6 to 81 ; expanse, 9*5 to 11 ; wing, 3'25 to 3*5 ; tail, 

 3'4 to 3'9 ; bill from gape, 0'84 to 0'86 ; bill from front, 0'5 to 

 0-58. 



Bill blackish-horny, beneath fleshy ; irides brown ; legs leaden- 

 blue. 



Above rufous-brown with the head, tail and upper tail-coverts, 

 more rufous ; streak over the eye, sometimes faintly and nar- 

 rowly extending over the forehead, white ; throat white ; the 

 rest of the lower parts whitish, with a fulvous tinge ; lores and 

 ear-coverts forming a broad band through the eye, dull brown- 

 black. Female and young much edged with brown bands, and 

 the eye-spot paler and brown. 



The Brown Shrike occurs more or less commonly as a cold 

 weather visitant throughout the district. 



Lanius isabellinus, Hemp. Sf Ehr. 



262. Lanius arenarius, Ely. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, 

 p. 407 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 464 ; 

 Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 122. 



THE PALE BROWN SHRIKE. 



Length, 775 ; wing, 375 ; tail, 3'5. 



The race differs from cristatus by its much paler hue, being 

 light ashy-brown, barely tinged with rufous on the rump only ; 

 lores and superciliary streak pale ; ear-coverts dark above, pale 

 beneath ; wings pale brown ; the primaries narrowly edged, and 

 the coverts and secondaries broadly with rufescent ; the central 

 tail-feathers brown ; the rest pale rufous-brown ; beneath white, 

 smeared all over, but especially on tlie breast and flanks, with fawn 

 or fulvescent ; under tail-coverts white. 



The Pale Brown Shrike is a common winter visitant to Sind and 

 Guzerat. It does not occur in the Deccan, nor has it as yet been 

 recorded from Central India. 



SUB-FAMILY, Malaconotinsa. 



Bill more lengthened and less compressed than in the true 

 Shrikes ; wings longer, and tail shorter ; tarsus short ; feet small. 



GENUS, Tephrodornis, Swainson. 



Bill lengthened, widish at the base, compressed, strong, 

 moderately hooked at the tip, and notched ; base of bill and 

 nostrils partially covered with procumbent setaceous feathers ; 

 a few moderately long rictal bristles ; wings moderate or long, 

 slightly rounded ; tail rather short, even, or slightly emarginate ; 

 tarsus and toes short ; lateral toes unequal ; outer-toe the longest, 

 slightly syndactyle. 



