4 6 4 PERCHING BIRDS. 



to India and Eastern Asia; the Siberian minivet, inhabiting Mantehuria in the 

 summer time, and migrating through China to winter in the Philippine Islands 

 and the Malay Peninsula, being the hardiest of the family. It is grey above 

 and white below, but the majority of minivets are gaudy in their attire, scarlet 

 and yellow predominating in their plumage, or at least in that of the male 

 bird, for the females are less gorgeous. The brilliantly-coloured Indian scarlet 

 minivet (Pericrocotus speciosus), like other members of its genus, is arboreal in 

 its habits, and lives in family-parties, which fly briskly about the branches of 

 their favourite trees in active pursuit of their insect prey. The call-note of the 

 species is lively and frequently repeated. Nesting in April, this minivet constructs 

 a beautifully cup-shaped nest of moss trimmed with lichens, which is placed in a 

 slender branch. In colour the eggs are greyish white, marked with brown and 

 inky purple. The adult male has the whole head, back, and scapulars glossy black ; 

 the lower surface from behind the throat, together with the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts are vivid scarlet ; while the wings are black, barred with scarlet ; and the 

 tail is scarlet except the middle pair of feathers which are black. 



The number of genera included in the shrike family renders it 

 impossible to allude to all, and we can consequently refer only to a 

 few. Among these the pied shrikes (flemipus) of India and Malaysia differ 

 from the true shrikes by the broad and flattened beak, in which the edge of the 

 upper mandible is merely notched near the tip, in place of being strongly notched 

 and toothed. The wood-shrikes (Tephrodornis), of which there are three Indian 

 representatives, are distinguished both from the preceding genus and the true 

 shrikes by the squared tail ; the general colour of the plumage being grey. The 

 Australian piping crows (Gymnorhina), which are here placed among the crows 

 (p. 323), are by some writers included in the present family; and the same is tin- 

 case with Struthidea (p. 322). On the other hand, the crow-shrikes (Strepera) of 

 Australia are more generally referred to the Cwvidce; but Dr. Sharpe places the 

 whole three genera in the Laniidce. There is also some difference of opinion as 

 to whether the cuckoo-shrikes (Ca/mpophaga and Graucalus), which range from 

 India to Australia, are likewise members of this family, Dr. Sharpe referring them 

 to a distinct family (Campo])hagidce), while Mr. Oates places them here. Agreeing 

 with the minivets in their spiny rump-feathers, the cuckoo-shrikes differ in having 

 the tail but moderately instead of greatly graduated, while the outer feathers are 

 more than three-quarters (instead of less than half) the entire length of the tail. 



The Waxwings. 



Family Ampelid.e. 



The waxwings, together with the allied South American family of the green- 

 lets (Vireonidit), are generally placed between the shrikes on the one hand, and 

 the thrushes and warblers on the other. Containing only five genera, with not 

 more than some nine species, they are characterised by a short and slightly hooked 

 bill, broad at the gape, long wings, and short legs : their plumage is very soft and 

 silk}'. The waxwings are inhabitants of the northern half of both hemispheres, 



