THE BLACK-HEADED CUCKOO-SHRIKE. 



Length, 7'5 ; wing, 4 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill at front, 0'5. 



Bill black ; irides dark red-brown ; feet black. 



Head, neck, and breast deep black ; whole upper plumage pale 

 grey ; tail black, the outer feathers broadly tipped with white ; 

 lower breast and abdomen pale grey, passing gradually to white 

 on the lower abdomen and lower tail-^coverts. 



The young bird has the head grey like the back ; the throat 

 and entire under parts whitish, with dusky cross rays ; and the 

 rump more or less distinctly rayed. 



The Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike is a not uncommon visitant 

 to most parts of the district, but it has not as yet been recorded 

 from Sind. 



Volvocivora melaschista, Hodgson. 



269. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 415 ; Butler, Deccan ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 393. 



"CgE DARK-GREY CUCKOO-SHRIKE. 



Length, 9'5 to 10 ; expanse, 15; wing, 46 ; tail, 5*25 ; tarsus, 

 0-88 ; bill at front, 0'62. 



Bill black ; irides hazel-brown ; legs black. 



Plumage iron-grey, darker and almost black on the quills and 

 tail, the latter tipped white on all but the central feathers, paler 

 grey beneath. 



Young birds are dusky-grey above, paler beneath, with dark 

 bands ; albescent on the under tail-coverts. 



The Dark-grey Cuckoo-Shrike has been obtained at Savant- 

 vadi, but there is no other record of its occurrence within our 

 limits. 



GENUS, Hypocolius, Bp. 



Bill hooked at tip, and notched ; third quill longest ; feet scute! * 

 lated ; tail long, subcuneate. 



Hypocolius ampelinus, Bp. 



%69quak Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 123. 



Length, 10'25 ; wing, 4'2 ; tail, 475 ; tarsus, 1 ; bill from gape 

 09. 



Bill horny, dusky at tip ; legs flesh-colored. 



Upper parts generally ashy-grey, with a slight rufous tinge on 

 the head, which is more marked on the frontal portion where the 

 feathers are rather lighter and more isabelline in tint ; feathers 

 above the nostrils, lower part of the lores, all round the eyes, and 

 a band round the nape, black, so that there is a black ring all 

 round the head, except in the centre of the forehead ; ear-coverts 

 dark silver-grey, looking black in some lights in the preserved 

 skin ; primary quills black, with rather long white tips, the tip 

 on the first long primary being wholly, and on the second partially 

 dusky ; outer secondaries black with grey edges, the black dimi- 



