THE SOUTH EUROPEAN GREY SHRIKE. 267 



white and more black ; primaries with less white showing at base ; 

 secondaries never with white at base ; wing-coverts as in L. e. 

 excubitor. This plumage is acquired by complete moult in autumn. 

 Summer. A moult confined to body-feathers takes place from 

 Feb.-April, new plumage being like winter. 



Adult female. Winter and summer. Like adult male and 

 moults same. Breast not barred as in L. e. excubitor. 



Nestling and juvenile. (Not examined.) 



Measurements and structure. ^ wing 103-111 mm., tail 108-121, 

 tarsus 28-32, bill from feathers on culmen 16-20 (12 measured). 

 $ wing 103-107. Primaries : 1st 11-19 mm. longer than longest 

 primary-covert, 2nd equal to (or between) 6th and 7th, 4th longest, 

 3rd and 5th equal to it or 1-3 shorter, 6th 5-8 shorter. Other 

 structure as in L. e excubitor. 



Soft parts. As in L. e. excubitor. 



CHARACTERS. Distinguished by combination of dark upper-parts 

 and pink under-parts. 



FIELD-CHARACTERS. Similar to those of Great Grey Shrike, 

 but crown and mantle darker and faint rosy flush on breast. Less 

 conspicuous and shyer than Great Grey Shrike (F.C.R.J.). 



BREEDING-HABITS. Breeds sometimes in large clumps of brambles 

 and sometimes in young pines or ilex trees. Nest. Similar to that 

 of Great Grey Shrike, built of coarse grass and lined with finer grass 

 and a few feathers. Bits of rag, lichens, and Gnaphalium may be 

 found on outside of nest. Eggs. 4 or 5 to 7, markings generally of a 

 much richer and warmer brown than in the allied form, and often 

 forming a bold zone. Average of 117 eggs, 27.5x19.6 mm. 

 Breeding-season. Irregular, some birds laying in March and others 

 not till mid-April. Incubation. No authentic data. Possibly 

 two broods, as fresh eggs have been taken in June, 



FOOD. Information scanty, but apparently feeds chiefly on insects 

 and their larvae, especially coleoptera, and orthoptera and probably 

 small as well as young birds. One seen with large worm in bill in 

 Spain ; also observed to catch lizard. 



DISTRIBUTION. England. One. Male near Pett (Sussex), Jan. 2, 

 1911 (ut supra). [The specimen recorded from near Norwich, 

 Dec., 1890 (J. H. Gurney, Trans. Norf. & N. Nat. Soc., vm, pt. iii, 

 pp. 352-3, and Brit. B., i, p. 124), was wrongly identified (Brit. B., 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Spain, Portugal, south-east France, once 

 at Gien on the Loire. Casual in Italy from the Riviera to Rome and 

 in Heligoland. 



