LANIUS 237 



351. BAY-BACKED SHRIKE. 

 LANIUS VITTATUS. 



Lanius vittatus, Valenciennes, Diet. Sc. Nat. xl. p. 227 (1826) ; Gadow, 

 Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 280 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 462 ; 

 L. hardwicldi (Vigors), P.Z.S. 1831, p. 42 ; (Gould), Cent. Hinial. 

 B. pi. 12, fig. 1. 



Pachanak, Hindu ; Chota-kilotora, Beng. 



<J ad. (India). Forehead extending to the forepart of the crown, and 

 a broad band extending round the eye and over the ear-coverts deep black ; 

 crown behind the black band white, darkening into grey on the nape and 

 hind neck ; back and scapulars deep chestnut-maroon ; rump white ; 

 upper tail-coverts grey ; wings black externally margined with rufous 

 buff ; middle tail-feathers black, the rest white at base, otherwise black 

 tipped with white, the outermost nearly all white ; chin, throat, and 

 under parts white, the breast and upper abdomen fulvous ; the flanks dark 

 rusty red ; bill black, paler at the base of the mandible ; legs blackish 

 plumbeous ; iris dark brown. Culmen 55, wing 3'4, tail 3'5, tarsus 0'85 

 inch. The female is paler and duller in colour and lacks the black frontal 

 band. 



Hctb. Afghanistan, Baluchistan and the peninsular of India 

 east to Bhutan ; the Rajmehal hills and Midnapore to the east, 

 and Mysore and the foot of the Nilgiris to the south. 



Like its congeners it inhabits the bush-covered plains, low 

 thorny jungle, groves, gardens, and hedgerows, and in general 

 habits does not differ from them. In the Himalayas it ascends 

 to an altitude of 4,000 to 5,000 feet. The breeding season 

 extends from April to September, but the eggs are chiefly 

 deposited in June and July, The nest is placed on a tree or in 

 a bush or hedge and is compactly built of twigs, grass-stems, 

 cobwebs, wool, rags, and feathers, and neatly lined with fine 

 grass or roots. The eggs 4 to 6 in number are greenish grey, 

 grey, or yellowish stone-colour, finely blotched or spotted with 

 pale purplish shell-markings and yellowish brown or dull brown 

 .surface-blotches, averaging about 0*83 by 0*66. 



352. RED-BACKED SHRIKE. 

 LANIUS COLLURIO. 



JLanius collurio, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 136 (1766) ; Naum. ii. p. 30, Taf. 

 52 ; Hewitson, i. p. 70, pi. xx. figs. 3, 4 ; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 69 ; 

 id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 15 ; Newton, i. p. 209 ; Dresser, iii. p. 399, 

 pi. 150 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 286 ; Saunders, p. 151 ; 

 Inlford, ii. p. 74, pi. 34. 



