70 THE EED-BACKED SIIKIKE. 



to the Magazine of Natural History, (vol. iv. p. 341), which 

 is as follows : " It differs from Lanius collurio, in the choice of 

 situation for its nest, placing it invariably on trees, and prefer- 

 ring the oak. The nest is fixed in the fork of a projecting 

 branch, and is composed on the outside of sticks and wool, mixed 

 with white moss from the bodies of the trees, and lined with fine 

 grass and wool. Eggs four or fire in number, rather smaller 

 .than those of the Red-backed Shrike, and varying much in mark- 

 ings ; the ground colour being pale blue in some, in others a dirty 

 white, surrounded near the larger end with a zone of rust-coloured 

 spots ; in some again, the markings and spots are of a paler 

 colour, and more dispersed over the egg. It is not a wild bird, 

 often building close to houses and public roads. It is abundant 

 in some parts of the Netherlands, and arrives and departs about 

 the same time as Lanius collurio." 



7. THE EED-BACKED SHKIKE. 



Lanius Collurio, LIN. Lanius Spinitorquus, BECH. L'Ecorchcur, BUF. 

 Der rothruckige Wurger, BECH. 



Description. This bird forms a link between the Pies and 

 singing birds, having many peculiarities in common with the 

 latter. It is a little more than six inches long. The tail, of 

 which a third is covered by the folded wings, is three inches 

 and a quarter in length. The beak is thick, black, almost 

 straight, being slightly bent at the point, and six lines long ; 

 the iris is nut brown ; the feet, ten lines high, are, as well 

 as the toes, of a blueish black. In the male, the head, the nape 

 of the neck, the upper tail coverts, and the thighs are ashen 

 blue ; above the eyes and on the forehead this colour is lighter. 

 A broad black stripe runs from the nostrils between the eyes 

 to the ears ; the back and the wing coverts are a beautiful 

 reddish brown ; the throat, the rump, and the under-part of 

 the body, white, tinged with red on the breast, belly, and 

 sides. The pen feathers are blackish, the hinder ones having 

 a wide border of reddish brown ; the tail is somewhat wedge 

 shaped, having the middle feathers black ; the other feathers 

 are white half way from the root downwards, and are besides 

 tipped with white. The female is very unlike the male in 

 appearance ; all the upper part of the body is rusty brown, 

 somewhat inclining to ashen grey, on the nape of the neck and 

 the tail coverts, and on the back and wing coverts, very slightly 

 Watered with white. The forehead and the part above the 



