204 LANIHLE. 



east and south-east of the countries inhabited by L. excu- 

 bitor, there occurs a smaller species, L. lahtora, at various 

 times mistaken for our bird, which is again replaced to the 

 south-west by two large forms, L. algeriensis and L. meri- 

 dionalis, the first being a resident in North Africa, and the 

 last a summer-visitor to the south of Europe. 



In the old male, the bill is black, except the base of the 

 lower mandible, which is yellowish-brown. The forehead 

 and a line over each eye white ; the lores, cheeks and ear- 

 coverts black ; all the upper plumage of the body, from the 

 head to the rump, pearl-grey (the shade varying much in 

 different examples), the scapulars, and often the tail-coverts, 

 being tipped with white ; wing-coverts black, those nearest 

 the fore-arm greyish : quill-feathers of the wing black with 

 a white bar at the base, forming, when the wing is closed, 

 two white spots ; the primaries are occasionally and the 

 secondaries always also tipped with white. Two middle pairs 

 of tail-feathers entirely black, the next pair black tipped 

 with white, the succeeding pairs shewing more white, until 

 the outermost are almost wholly so. Beneath, the markings 

 of the tail, which is much graduated, are fully defined but 

 less pure in colour, and the inside of the wings is pure 

 white, the remiges only being grey beneath. Irides very dark 

 brown ; legs, toes and claws, black. 



Females resemble the males, except that the colours of 

 the plumage are not so pure, and the dull white of the 

 breast is marked with numerous greyish semilunar lines. 



Young birds of both sexes are much duller in colour, and 

 often have, as already mentioned, the double white spot on 

 the wing feebly developed. 



The whole length of the Great Shrike is ten inches. 

 Wing from the carpus to the end of the longest primary, 

 four inches and three-quarters ; first wing-feather only half 

 as long as the second ; the second shorter than the third, 

 fourth, or fifth, which are nearly equal, and the longest in 

 the wing ; the sixth but very little longer than the second. 



