LANIIN^E. LANIUS. 93 



the latter colour enlarging towards the sides, so that the 

 lateral feather is entirely white, excepting part of the shaft. 

 Female similar, but with the forehead and breast marked 

 with semi-circular grey lines. The young have the upper 

 parts dark brownish-grey, the tail-coverts faintly barred with 

 dusky, the lower parts greyish- white, tinged with brown, and 

 transversely barred with brownish-grey, the lateral bands on 

 the head brown, the wings and tail blackish-brown, marked 

 with white, but to a less extent than in the adult. 



Male, 101 HI, 4 i 8 ^ iV' 9 *V 



This species is an occasional or accidental visitant, occur- 

 ring chiefly in the winter season, it being an inhabitant of the 

 northern parts of Europe. It has been found in various parts 

 of England as well as Ireland, and less frequently in Scotland. 

 It preys on insects, frogs, lizards, small birds, and quadrupeds, 

 which it affixes to a thorn, or jams into the fork of a branch, 

 that it may be enabled to tear them up into small morsels. 



Grey Shrike. Butcher Bird. Mountain Magpie. 



Lanius Excubitor, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 135. Lanius Ex- 

 cubitor, Temm. Man. d'Ornith, i. 142. Lanius Excubitor, 

 Great Cinereous Shrike, Macgillivray, Brit. Birds, iii. 492. 



42. LANIUS RUTILUS. WOODCHAT SHRIKE. 



Male with the upper part of the head and the hind neck 

 brownish-red, the back black, the scapulars white, the rump 

 grey, the wings black, the bases of the primaries and the tips 

 of the secondaries white, the tail black, excepting the outer 

 feathers, the basal half of the next and its tip, with those of 

 the rest, which are white ; a broad black frontal band, mar- 

 gined anteriorly with white ; a black cheek-band ; the lower 

 parts white. Female with the head and neck dull red, the 

 back brownish-black, the lower parts greyish-white, with 

 transverse brownish lines. Young reddish-brown above, 

 brownish-white, with transverse lines beneath. 



Male 7 T 8 3r, , 3H ; if, H 5 M, iV Female, 7f . 



Only a few instances of the occurrence of this species in 

 England are recorded. It is abundant in many parts of 

 Africa, visits the European continent in spring, and returns 

 in September and October. Its food consists of insects, and 

 occasionally small birds and quadrupeds. 



Woodchat. Wood Shrike. 



Lanius rutilus, La'h. Ind. Ornith. i. 70. Lanius rufus, 

 Temm. Man. d'Omith, i. 147. Lanius rutilus, the Wood- 

 chat Shrike, Macgillivray, Brit. Birds, iii. 502. 



