236 LANIUS 



350. LESSER GREY SHRIKE. 

 LANIUS MINOR. 



Lanlus minor, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 308 (1788) ; Naum. ii. p. 15, Taf. 

 50 ; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 68 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 14 ; 

 Newton, i. p. 205 ; Dresser, iii. p. 393, pi. 149 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. viii. p. 235 ; Saunclers, p. 149 ; Lilforcl, ii. p. 71. pi. 33. 



Pie-grieche cl'Italie, French ; Averla cencrina, Ital. ; Gfrauer 

 Wurger, German ; Chernolobui Sorokoput, Russ. 



( ad. (Piedmont). Upper parts delicate blue-grey, paler on the rump 

 and scapulars ; quills black, brownish towards the tips ; secondaries tipped 

 with white ; wing-coverts black ; a conspicuous white speculum ; tail as 

 in L. elef/aus ; forehead, feathers round the eye, and ear-coverts black ; 

 cheeks, chin, throat, and under tail-coverts white ; rest of under parts rose- 

 pink ; bill and legs black ; iris brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 4*6, tail 3'9, 

 tarsus I'O inch. The female differs in having less black on the forepart of 

 the head ; a narrow frontal white band crosses the forehead and it is 

 otherwise varied by a few blackish feathers. The young bird has no trace 

 of the black forehead, the upper parts are ashy grey with fine transverse 

 brown bars, the under parts dull yellowish white. 



Hob. Central and southern Europe, accidentally in Britain ; 

 Asia Minor, Persia, Turkestan and Dzungaria, east as far as the 

 basin of the Hi in Kuldja, and north to 56 or 57 N. Lat. in 

 Western Siberia, wintering in Africa as far south as Damara- 

 land and the Tati river. 



Frequents bush-covered plains, gardens, and groves, but not 

 forests, and does not affect the hills nor marshy localities. It 

 is not shy, and may generally be seen perched in some exposed 

 place. With other birds it is quarrelsome. Its flight is light 

 and easy, its usual note a harsh shek, shek, its call-note 

 kioid, kwiell and pvrletcli and it is a remarkably clever mimic. 

 It feeds chiefly on insects and their larvae, and also on fruit. 

 It breeds in May, its nest resembling that of its allies and is 

 placed on a high bush or a tree. The eggs from 5 to 7 in 

 number are pale bluish green with purplish grey shell markings 

 and brown surface-spots and blotches, in size averaging about 

 0-95 by 0-62. 



