LANIAD^. 47 



and large insects : these it generally fixes, after it 

 has killed them, in a forked branch or sharp thorn, 

 the more readily to pull them to pieces, as do all 

 the birds of this family. 



This bird builds in trees, making a nest of bents, 

 roots and moss, lined with down and wool.* 



In the old male the upper mandible is black, with 

 a projecting tooth near the point of the beak, which 

 is considerably curved ; under mandible yellowish 

 brown at the base, becoming brownish black at the 

 end ; the nostrils hid by black hairs ; irides very 

 dark brown ; space from the beak to the eye, a 

 narrow streak under the eye, and from thence a 

 broad patch to the ear-coverts, black ; immediately 

 above this a small streak of white ; head, neck, back 

 and rump pearl-grey ; some of the scapulars and the 

 tail-coverts much paler, nearly white ; wing-coverts 

 black ; primary quills black towards the points, 

 white at the base ; secondaries the same ; tertials 

 black, tipped with white ; the four centre feathers 

 of the tail black; the next feather on each side 

 tipped with white, which colour occupies more space 

 on each feather towards the outside, the outside tail- 

 feathers being almost wholly white ; all the under 

 parts are white ; legs, toes and claws black. Females 

 resemble the males, except that the colours of the 



* Yarrell, vol. i., p. 169. 



