240 LANIUS 



355. SEVERTZOFF'S RUFOUS SHRIKE. 

 LANIUS PHCENICUROIDES. 



Lanius plicenicuroides, Severtz. J.f.O. 1873, p. 347 ; Bogdanoff, Sorokop. 

 Eussk. Faun. p. 14, pi. i. figs, 2, 3 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. 

 p. 278 ; L. isabellinus, Dresser, iii. p. 413 (partim) pi. 152. 



Djungarski Swokoput, Russian. 



$ ad. (Turkestan). Differs from L. isabellinus in having the back 

 ashy brown and the crown much more rufous ; the superciliary stripe 

 larger, pure white, and extended in a narrow line across the base of the 

 upper mandible ; the lores and patch through the eye and covering the 

 ear-coverts deep black ; and the alar speculum larger and more distinct. 

 Culmen 0'65, wing 3'65, tail 3'2, tarsus 0'95 inch. 



Hob. Transcaspia and Turkestan, wintering in Persia, Arabia, 

 and Abyssinia, and has been met with in Sind. 



In habits it does not differ from L. isabellinus, but appears to 

 be less often met with in the true desert. Some specimens are 

 much greyer than others and Bogdanoff even subdivided it (I.e.) 

 into two subspecies, naming the more rufous bird Otomela 

 plicenicuroides subsp. romanowi and the greyer variety 0. 

 phcenicuroides subsp. kardini. 



It breeds in Transcaspia and Turkestan in May, placing its 

 nest on a bush or low tree. The nest is neatly constructed of 

 grass-bents, plant-stems, and fine roots lined with fine bents 

 and rootlets, and the eggs 4 to 6 in number are pale salmon- 

 colour marked with pale rufous grey and rufous spots collected 

 chiefly round the larger end, in size averaging about 0'9 by 

 0-65. 



356. BROWN RED-TAILED SHRIKE. 

 LANIUS CRISTATUS. 



Lanius cristatus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 134 (1766) ; Bogd. Sorokop. Russk. 

 Faun. p. 3, pi. 1. fig. 1 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 271 ; 

 Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 468 ; L. phcenicurus, Pall. Zoogr. 

 Ross. As. i. p. 405 (1811) ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 498. 



Daurski Sorokoput, Russ. ; Kdkhdti Beng. ; Kker-Khetta, 

 Hindu ; Batti-gadu, Tel. Hnet-beloo, Burm. 



$ ad. (Dairria). Upper parts reddish brown, more rufous on the crown ; 

 wings dark brown margined with rufous, the lesser wing-coverts like the 

 back ; no white 'alar speculum ; tail reddish brown, paler at the tip ; 

 lores and a patch passing through the eye and extending over the ear- 



