Nidification of Indian Birds. 265 



though not much more compressed than the larger. The 

 ground-colour is bright pale pink terra-cotta, and at the 

 extremity of the broader end there is a dense ring of specks 

 of dark terra-cotta and brick-red which coalesce with nume- 

 rous underlying markings of dull grey and lavender. Over 

 the rest of the egg arc scattered sparingly very faint freckles 

 of lavender and terra-cotta, hardly to be noticed unless the 

 egg is closely examined. 



104. Lanius collukoides. 



Oates, F. B. Ind. i. p. 102 ; Harrington, B. N. H. S. J. 

 xiv. p. 598. 



Capt. Harrington and others have taken many nests of 

 the Burmese Shrike since Blanford and Oates wrote the 

 1 Fauna of British India/ but the only record that I can find 

 is that of the first named. 



He notes {Joe. cit.) : — " It is a wonder that this bird's 

 nest has not been described before, as it is very common up 

 here, especially during the breeding-season, which is from 

 April to the beginning of June. All the young birds have 

 left their nests now (23rd June), and everywhere one goes 

 one is greeted with the angry chatter of the old birds. 

 Whilst they had eggs in their nests they were very silent 

 and generally kept out of sight. The nest is usually placed 

 on the top of small saplings, against the trunk of trees, and 

 between the fork of good-sized branches at 5 to 12 feet from 

 the ground. It is neatly made of leaves, lichens, and feathers, 

 &c., covered with cobwebs and lined with fine grass. The 

 size of nest varies a good deal, if placed in between branches 

 it is much smaller and matches the tree-trunk, if concealed 

 by leaves it is much larger. The eggs are very much like 

 the English Butcher-bird's and vary in the same way, there 

 being two more or less distinct types, one pinkish white with 

 brown and purple spots, the other greenish white with sepia 

 and ash-coloured spots, a few have a dull yellow ground- 

 colour with spots the same as the last. Size "8 to '80 by 

 -67 to -66 in." 



I have a fine series of these eggs which 1 owe to Capt. 



