732 The Sparrow-like Birds 



of some leafless tree for its prey of field mice, shrews, and small birds. It is 

 detested by gamekeepers and usually destroyed on sight, though the good it 

 accomplishes probably much more than offsets its evil deeds. It has often been 

 made use of by falconers in capturing certain Hawks, its hoarse cry giving notice 

 of the approach of one of these birds. Its bulky nest is placed in a variety of 

 situations, such as low bushes, orchard trees, and birch, oak, or rarely spruce 

 trees, when in the latter often at a considerable height from the ground; it is 

 composed of twigs, grass stems, and moss, and lined with wool, feathers, and 

 hair. The four to six or seven eggs are dull white with spots and blotches of 

 dull brown and lilac; two broods are often reared in a season, and the parents 

 are very solicitous in their care of the young. 



Differing from the last in being much paler and showing much more white 

 on the wings is the White-winged Shrike (L. kucopterus] of central Siberia and 

 central Asia, which is replaced in eastern Siberia and northern China by the 

 Long-tailed Gray Shrike (L. sphenocercus), which has still more white on the 

 wings and a considerably longer tail. Belonging to the same group is the Lesser 

 Gray Shrike (L. minor) of central and southern Europe, the Pallid Shrike (L. 

 pollens) of Northwest Africa, the Indian Gray Shrike (L, lahtora) of India, etc.; 

 their habits are those of the species already described. 



Red-backed Shrike. Of similar appearance and habits but differing con- 

 siderably in plumage is a group of which the common Red-backed Shrike (L. 

 [Enneoctonus] collurio) of Europe and Asia as far east as the Altai range, winter- 

 ing in Africa as far to the south as Cape Colony, may be taken as an example. 

 Only about seven inches in length, it has the mantle chestnut-brown, the lores, 

 frontal band, and ear-coverts black, and the under parts rose-buff, while the 

 wings are dark brown edged with rufous and the tail-feathers white at the base. 

 It is a strictly migratory species, arriving rather late from its far southern winter 

 home, and in the British Isles, where it is the only breeding Shrjke, frequenting 

 plains, fields, gardens, and hedgerows. Its food consists principally of insects, 

 especially grasshoppers, but it also feeds to some extent on mice and small birds, 

 all of which it often impales on thorns after the manner of its kind. Its nest- 

 building enterprise is undertaken in May or June, "the bulky nest of twigs, roots, 

 grasses, etc., lined with wool, moss, or hair being usually placed in a low bush 

 or high hedge; the eggs, four to six in number, vary from bright greenish gray 

 with light violet shell markings and brown surface spots to pale salmon-color 

 with violet shell and reddish surface blotches." Its congeners to the number of 

 half a dozen range over Africa and southern and southeastern Asia. 



Masked and Woodchat Shrikes. Both the Masked Shrike (L. [Phoneus] 

 nubicus] of southeastern and the Woodchat Shrike (L. [ P.] pomeranus) of cen- 

 tral and southern Europe are also migratory species, spending the summer in 

 the above-mentioned areas and the winter in Africa. The former species has 

 the upper parts deep black, with the scapulars and a broad band across the 

 forehead and above the eye of pure" white, while the under parts are white more 

 or less washed with rusty. It is a somewhat shy and retiring species, frequent- 

 ing in its summer home bush-covered plains, vineyards, and cultivated valleys 



