the Birds of ChinHang. G19 



only too abundant. They also ate a little chopped raw beef 

 and bread and milk. They were extremely voracious ; in a 

 wild state this species must consume an immense number of 

 insects. I occasionally saw my birds with a grasshopper in 

 their bill as well as one in each foot. They began to use 

 their feet for holding their food about July 15. The male 

 began during the first winter to sing very sweetly. The 

 song was low and was often uttered at night by lamplight. 



The male died during the second winter ; the female was 

 brought to Europe, and is now living in the Gardens of the 

 Zoological Society of London. 



Two nests, each containing three slightly incubated eggs, 

 were brought to me on June 6, with the female in one case. 

 One of these nests is a large and massive cup with thick sides 

 and strong hard base. It is made of roots, leaf- and grass- 

 stems, bents, a good deal of grass-down with a feather or two, 

 a bit of native cotton-cloth, and a piece of dirty cotton-wool 

 — evidently the stuffing of some native wadded garment — 

 worked in with the roots, &c. The lining is of fine roots 

 and fine grass-stems. Outwardly it measures : diameter 

 5^x6^ in., depth 3 in. The inner measurements are: 

 diameter 3 x 3£ in., depth about 2 in. The other nest is not 

 so large ; it is made of moss, roots, grass-stems, grasses, and 

 a little grass-down, wool, and animal hair. The lining is of 

 fine roots and grass-stems with a feather or two. The outer 

 measurements are : diameter 4^ x 5| in., depth 3 in. Inside, 

 the diameter is 2| x 3 in. and the depth 2 in. The eggs are 

 pale yellow-green stone- colour, with a broad ring round the 

 larger end of confluent and detached spots and specks of pale 

 violet-grey, over which are spots of very pale brownish ; 

 the rest of the shell is sparsely spotted and speckled with the 

 latter colour and with a very few grey markiugs. They are 

 very smooth, have a slight gloss, and are ovate in shape. 

 They average 0'91 x 0'66" ; the largest is 092 x 0'66", and 

 the smallest 0-89x0'66". 



42. Lanius superciliosus Latham. 



Styan, Ibis, 1891, p. 347. 

 A handsome adult female was shot on May 19. 



2s2 



