232 LANIUS 



Hob. Altai range, Mongolia, Nov. Ssaissan, Chami. 



In habits it does not differ from L. excubitor, and I do not 

 find anything on record respecting its nidification. 



343. SUBSP. LAXIUS FUNEREUS. 



Lanius funereus, Menzbier, Ibis, 1894 p. 379 ; Dresser, ix. p. 157, pis. 

 667 and 668 fig. 1 ; L. mollis. Bogd. Sorokop. Russk. Faun. p. 97 

 (partim) pi. ii. 



$ ad. (Kashgaria). Differs from L. mollis in being darker, greyer, less- 

 tinged with buff, and has the larger upper tail-coverts marked with a 

 distinct terminal black band. The young of the two species are not dis- 

 tinguishable both having tie upper tail-coverts vermiculated with dull 

 black. Culmen T06, wing 5-1, tail 5*0, tarsus TO inch. 



Hal. Turkestan, Kashgaria, the Irtisch river, and has occurred 

 as far west as Archangel. 



344. PALLID SHRIKE. 

 LANIUS ELEGANS. 



Lanius elegans, Swains. Faun. Bor. Amer. ii. p. 122 (1831) ; Gadow, Cat. 

 B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 251, pi. vii ; Dresser, ix. p. 167 ; L. dealbatus, 

 De Fil. Rev. and Mag. de Zool. 1853, p. 289 ; Gadow, torn, cit., p. 250, 

 pi. vi ; L. assimilis, A. and L. Brehm, J.f.O., 1854 p. 147 ; Bogd. 

 Sorokop. Russk. Faun. p. 160 ; Gadow, torn, cit., p. 249 ; L. 

 hemileucurus, Finsch. and Hartl. Vog. Ost. Afr. p. 239 (1870) ; 

 Gadow, torn, cit., p. 249 ; L. lahtora, (part.), Dresser, iii. p. 381, 

 pi. 146, (lower figure) ; Rey. J.f.O. 1896, Taf. vi. fig. 6. (eggs). 



ad. (N. Africa.). Upper parts pale blue-grey, under parts white ; 

 lesser wing-coverts entirely grey ; alar patch rather large ; a narrow 

 frontal band, lores, and a broad patch passing through and behind the eye 

 deep black, above narrowly margined with white ; wings black, the 

 secondaries with the inner webs chiefly white ; outer tail-feather white, 

 the next white with a black shaft line, the next two black broadly tipped 

 with white, the two middle ones black with a narrow white tip ; bill and 

 legs blackish horn ; iris brown. Culmen 0'8, wing 4'1, tail 4*4, tarsus 

 1'2 inch. 



Hob. North Africa, Asia Minor, Transcaspia, Turkestan, 

 Afghanistan, straying as far east as the Punjab. 



In habits it does not differ from its near allies and inhabits 

 open bush-covered localities, desert places, and the plains in 

 preference to the hills. It feeds on insects, especially on 



