*. 



l6 & LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



Young. Similar to the adults, but having a brown shade 

 over the grey of the upper parts, and slightly obscuring the 

 white scapulars; the under surface regularly barred with 

 fine crescentic markings on the feathers, excepting OB the 

 throat, abdomen, and under tail-coverts, which are all pure 

 white. 



Range in Great Britain. Like the foregoing species, it is an 

 autumn and winter visitant, and appears to be quite as common 

 as Lanius excubitor in some years. 



Range outside the British Islands. Extends from Eastern Siberia 

 south of lat. 65 N., as far west as Northern Russia. In many 

 of its western habitats it is said to interbreed with L. excubitor. 

 Much has been written about the distribution of this species, 

 and the various allied forms. Mr. Dresser has contributed a 

 long article to the "Ibis" for 1892 (pp. 374-380), which does not 

 seem to lay down any definite conclusions. Much more to 

 the purpose are the remarks of Mr. Stejneger (l.c.\ who, as 

 usual, puts forward some tangible results of his work. Two 

 propositions are set before us, either to consider that there is 

 but one species of Great Grey Shrike, ranging over the whole 

 of the Palsearctic and Nearctic Regions, including L. excubitor^ 

 L. sibiricus (L. major, auct.), and even L. borealis of Nortl 

 America or to recognise three forms, L. excubitor from Cen- 

 tral and Southern Europe, L. sibiricus^ which ranges from th( 

 Japanese Sea all through Northern Siberia and Northern Russia 

 to Norwegian Finmark, and L. borealis, confined strictly to 

 North America. This latter conclusion, which commends 

 itself also to Dr. Stejneger, seems to be the most scientific 

 explanation of the distribution of the three races of Grej 

 Shrike under consideration. It is the present race which \\ 

 figured in the plate (XVIII). 



Habitg. These appear to be similar to those of L. excubitor. 



Nest. Not yet described, but doubtless similar to that of th< 

 foregoing species. 



Eggs. Of these nothing has as yet been recorded, but they 

 will doubtless be found to resemble those of L. excubitor 



I 



