LANIUS. 91 



width ; coeca very small and cylindrical. Eyes of mode- 

 rate size. Nostrils roundish or elliptical. Aperture of 

 ear large. Trachea with four pairs of inferior laryngeal 

 muscles. Legs rather short, of moderate strength ; tarsus 

 rather slender, compressed, with seven anterior scutella, 

 sharp-edged behind ; toes four, rather small, compressed, 

 the outer and middle united at the base ; the first much 

 stouter and long, the lateral nearly equal, all scutellate 

 above ; claws rather long, arched, much compressed, late- 

 rally grooved, extremely acute. Plumage soft and blend- 

 ed, the feathers ovate and rounded ; a row of stiffish 

 bristles at the base of the upper mandible on each side ; 

 wings of moderate length, broad, rounded, the first quill 

 very small, the third, fourth, and fifth longest ; tail of 

 twelve feathers. 



The Laminae are in a manner intermediate between 

 the Myiotherinse, Turdinse, Corvinse, and Falconinse, of 

 which they combine the characters. They resemble the 

 Falconinse in their decurved and toothed upper mandible, 

 as well as in their habits, many of the species being 

 addicted to the pursuit of small quadrupeds, birds, and 

 reptiles. Their general food, however, is insects, worms, 

 mollusca, and fruits. They are chiefly natives of warm 

 climates, so that few species occur in Britain, where none 

 are permanently resident. 



GENUS XXV. LANIUS. SHRIKES OR BUTCHER 

 BIRDS. 



Bill rather short, strong, pentagonal at the base, higher 

 than broad, much compressed toward the end ; upper man- 

 dible with its dorsal line convex, the ridge rather narrow, 

 the edges with a marked projection and a sinus, near the 

 considerably decurved, compressed, slender, acute tip ; lower 

 mandible with the tip curved a little upwards, slender, acute. 

 Mouth rather wide ; tongue sagittate at the base, tapering, 

 thin-edged, with the tip slit and lacerated ; oesophagus of 



