BRITISH BIRDS. 6 I 



74. Lanius minor, Gmelin. LESSER GREY SHRIKE. 



Hab. Central and S.E. Europe, north to Prussia, west 

 to S.E. France, casually north-west to England; also 

 breeding in North Africa, Asia Minor, and eastward to 

 Central Asia. Migrating southward in winter. 



Male : frontal band, feathers round eye, and ear-coverts 

 black ; upper parts pale ash-grey, lightest on the rump ; 

 wings black, except basal-third of each primary which is 

 white, forming a conspicuous patch ; secondaries slightly 

 tipped with white ; outer tail-feather each side white, rest 

 with white tip and base, and a black central portion, the 

 white decreasing successively until two middle feathers are 

 black ; lower parts white, with a reddish tinge on breast 

 and sides ; bill and tarsi black. Length 8*50. Females 

 and immature birds have very little black on head, and 

 have under parts duller with a few faint crescentic bars. 



Four occurrences are recorded, viz., one in Scilly Isles 

 (1851), two at Yarmouth (1869 and 1875), and one near 

 Plymouth (1876). 



75. Lanius eollurio, Linn. REDBACKED SHRIKE. 



Hab. Europe (except extreme S.W.), north to South 

 Scandinavia ; also Asia Minor and Turkestan. In winter 

 southward to Africa. 



Male : crown, nape, and upper tail-coverts light grey ; 

 forehead, lores and ear-coverts black ; back and lesser 

 wing-coverts bright red-brown ; wing-quills dusky brown, 

 with reddish margins ; two middle tail-feathers blackish, 

 remainder white at basal-half, and with a narrow white tip, 

 rest of feather being blackish ; lower plumage cream- 

 coloured, with a pink tinge ; bill and tarsi black. Length 

 7 'oo. Female : above dull reddish-brown, with indistinct 

 darker crescentic marks ; below brownish-white, with more 

 distinct greyish crescentic bars, these markings, however, 



