SHRIKES. 



463 



irregularly spotted with black. It feeds principally upon beetles and other insects, 

 like the woodchat, and possesses a pleasant song. The adult male has the forehead 

 white, this colour extending behind the eye, the scapulars being also of the 

 same hue ; the crown and entire upper-parts are bluish black, the wing-coverts 

 being edged with whitish ; the tail-feathers are black-and-white, and the lower- 

 parts white tinged with reddish yellow. 



The hooded shrike (L. erythropterus), is an Algerian bird, 

 breeding in well-bushed situations, w r here it runs about with great 

 rapidity in search of its food. It is a skulking species, and keeps out of sight as 

 much as possible. The call-note is a harsh cry, tschagra tschagra chagra chrug. 

 Canon Tristram says that this shrike never exposes itself in any conspicuous 

 situation, but always remains concealed in the thickest recesses. The only nest 



Hooded Shrike. 



INDIAN SCARLET MINIVET (f liat. size). 



he took was placed in the centre of an arbutus bush, and was large and coarsely 

 constructed of twigs, with a thick lining of wool and hair. It contained four 

 eggs, which were white in ground-colour, spotted with brown and blotched with 

 red. The adult has the crown of the head and nape black, the eyebrow white, 

 the scapulars black margined with chestnut, the wing -coverts bright chestnut, 

 the wings black, bordered with red, the tail black, broadly tipped with white, 

 the chin white, and the under-parts ashy grey. 



The shrikes of the genus Pericrocotus possess a bill shorter 

 than the head, moderately broad at the base, hooked and notched ; 

 the nostrils are concealed by the frontal plumes ; the wing is long and pointed ; 

 the tail long and greatly graduated ; and the feet are short and comparatively 

 feeble. Mr. Gates points out that the members of this genus are remarkable 

 for the stiffened shafts of the feathers of the rump. The mini vets are peculiar 



The Minivets. 



