BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



77 



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THE Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio, Linnseus) is a 

 fairly well distributed species in the British Islands during 

 the summer, especially over Wales and Southern and Cen- 

 tral England. It is also said to be met with in South 

 Scandinavia, Asia Minor, and Turkestan, moving south- 

 ward in winter to Africa. The adult male has the crown 

 of the head, nape, upper back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, 

 bright ash-grey; lores, feathers round the eye, and ear- 

 coverts, black; back and scapulars, rich chestnut - brown ; 

 wing-coverts, black, edged broadly with chestnut ; wings, 

 black ; quills, narrowly edged with chestnut ; secondaries, 

 with broad margins of the same colour; middle feathers 

 of tail, black ; remainder with more or less white at base, 

 and tipped with white ; chin, white ; lower parts, rose-red ; 

 irides, brown ; bill, legs, and feet, black. Length, about 

 seven inches. The adult female can be distinguished by 

 having no black about the head. 



