THE BLACK-THROATED CROW SHRIKE. BIRDS. QUOY'S CROW SHRIKE. 



343 



exhibits much familiarity, often approaching the dwell- 

 ings of man. The food of this and the other species 

 consists of insects and their larvae, which they gene- 

 rally capture upon the branches, rarely descending to 

 the ground in search of prey, and then carrying it up 

 into the bushes to devour it. 



THE GONOLEK (Laniarius larbarus). TheGonoleks 

 of Le Vaillant form an exclusively African genus, which 

 agrees with the preceding South American forms in the 

 slenderness and straightness of the bill. The present 

 species is about the size of the Red-backed Shrike ; it 

 is black above and reddish beneath, with the crown of 

 the head, the vent, and thighs, tawny yellow. In its 

 habits this species, like its congeners, resembles the 

 Thamnophili, living concealed amongst the bushes, and 

 feeding upon insects and their larvae. 



THE BLACK-THROATED CROW SHRIKE (Cracticus 

 nigrogularis). The Crow Shrikes or Cractici are pecu- 

 liar to Australia and the islands of the Pacific, where 

 they take the place of our common shrikes. The pre- 

 sent species is found only in New South Wales, where 

 it inhabits the rich districts known as apple-tree flats, 

 and undulating countries with scattered large trees. 

 It is usually seen in pairs, and haunts the lower 

 branches of the trees, from which it not unfrequently 

 descends to the ground in pursuit of its prey, consisting 

 of insects, small lizards, and mice. It also kills and 

 devours small birds. The nest of this species is rather 

 large, and resembles that of the common jay of Europe; 

 it is composed of sticks, lined with fine fibrous roots, 

 and is generally placed on a horizontal branch, where 

 it is concealed by the thick foliage. The eggs are 

 yellowish-brown, with darker spots. 



From its size and elegantly pied plumage, this bird 

 is a conspicuous object upon the trees which it fre- 

 quents. The total length of the male is rather more 

 than twelve inches ; he is a little larger than the female. 

 In both sexes the head, neck, and chest are black ; the 

 back and wings are also black, the latter with the ' 

 centre, the shoulder, and the basal part of the outer 

 edge white ; the lower part of the neck, the rump, and 

 the whole lower surface is white ; and the tail is black, 

 with the tips of all the feathers, except the two middle 

 ones, white. The feet are black, and the bill lead 

 colour, with the tip black. 



THE PIED CEOW SHEIKE (Cracticus picatus} closely 

 resembles the preceding in the distribution of its colours, 

 but is a smaller bird, measuring only eleven inches in 

 length. It is found at Port-Essington in considerable 

 abundance. 



THE AUSTRALIAN BUTCHER-BIRD (Cracticus de- 

 structor), another of the Crow-shrikes, is an inhabitant 

 of New South Wales and South Australia, throughout 

 which it is very generally distributed, haunting both 

 the brushes and the belts of trees in the open country. 

 It is seen sitting motionless upon the trees, watching 

 all that goes on around it, but especially keeping a 

 sharp eye upon the ground beneath, ready to pounce 

 down in a moment upon any large insect or small 

 lizard that may make its appearance there ; it also feeds 

 upon small birds and mice, and is observed to impale 

 or suspend its victims in the same way as the common 

 Shrikes of Europe. In its habits it is usually a shy and 

 retiring bird, but constantly reveals its presence in the 

 neighbourhood by its curious note, which, Mr. Gould 

 tells us, is " a jumble of discordant sounds impossible 

 to be described." The nest resembles that of the pre- 

 ceding species. 



The length of this Butcher-bird is about eleven 

 inches. The head and back of the neck are black ; 

 the upper surface is dark grayish-brown, becoming 

 blackish on the wings and tail ; the middle secondaries 

 have their outer margins white, forming a white 

 streak when the wing is closed; the tail feathers, 

 except the two middle ones, are tipped with white on 

 their inner webs ; the plumage of the lower surface is 

 grayish-white, and an irregular band of white passes 

 up nearly to the nape of the neck ; the bill is lead 

 colour with the tip black, and the feet are blackish. 



QUOY'S CEOW SHEIKE (Cracticus Quoyif), a large 

 and handsome species of this genus, occurs both in 

 New Guinea and on the opposite northern coast of 

 Australia. It measures nearly fifteen inches in length, 

 including the long bill, which is about two inches. 

 The whole of the plumage is glossy black, with the 

 edges of all the feathers shining green ; the bill is 

 usually gray, with the tip black, and the feet are black. 

 This fine bird is very shy and wary in its disposition, 

 inhabiting the thickest and darkest parts of the man- 

 grove swamps, searching for crabs, which constitute a 

 great portion of its food, upon the deep mud amongst the 

 roots of the trees. It also feeds occasionally upon insects. 



With the Crow Shrikes we close the series of 

 Dentirostral birds. The next division, that of the 

 Conirostres, commences with the great family of the 

 Crows, in which we include some Australian species 

 presenting a considerable resemblance to the Crow 

 Shrikes; so close, indeed, is the analogy existing 

 between them, that by some ornithologists, they are 

 considered as forming a single group. 



TRIBE IV. CONIROSTRES. 



In the birds of this group which may be regarded 

 as including the types of the Passeres, and perhaps also 

 the types of the class of birds in general the bill is 

 usually of a distinctly conical form, although it varies 

 a good deal in length and thickness, and is sometimes 

 more or less curved. The tip of the upper mandible 

 is generally straight, and its margin unarmed ; but in 

 some of the forms most nearly allied to the preceding 



section, the edges of the upper mandible are notched 

 near the extremity, and the tip itself is slightly hooked. 

 The food of the majority of the species of this group, 

 especially those with straight and stout conical bills, 

 consists principally of seeds, for breaking which this 

 form of bill is peculiarly adapted. There are, however, 

 few, if any of these birds, which do not live partially 

 upon animal food, such as insects and their larvae, whilst 



