1870. ]} ON EUROPEAN SHRIKES. 595 
5. LANius LUDOVICIANUS. 
Lanius ludovicianus, Linn.; Baird, Rev. of Am. B. p. 443. 
Lanius excubitoroides, Sw. ; Baird, l. c. p. 444. 
Lanius elegans, Baird et auct. Amer. (nec Sw.). 
Upper parts dark French grey; rump and upper tail-coverts 
lighter ; scapulars broadly edged with white ; quills black, the 
inner web white towards the base, the basal half of the outer web 
of the primaries white, forming a white alar bar ; secondaries broadly 
tipped with white; tail black, the central feathers just edged with 
white, the next more broadly tipped, this latter colour predo- 
minating towards the external feathers, which are almost entirely 
white ; a narrow band across the forehead, lores, feathers round the 
eye, and ear-coverts jet-black ; whole underparts white, with occa- 
sional slight indication of transverse vermiculations ; bill and feet 
black. 
Professor Baird, in his elaborate ‘ Review of American Birds,’ has 
gone very closely into the question of the specific distinctions between 
L. ludovicianus and L. excubitoroides ; but we must confess that we 
can scarcely agree with even so good an authority on North-American 
birds as the learned Professor ; and we base our opinion principally on 
the analogous changes of plumage through which all the other Grey 
Shrikes appear to pass. We have not, indeed, such an extensive 
series for comparison as Professor Baird has at his command in the 
Smithsonian Museum, but have no inconsiderable number of speci- 
mens before us from various localities in the United States and 
Mexico. Amongst these we have thoroughly typical L. excubitoroides 
and LZ. ludovicianus (based on Professor Baird’s own descriptions) 
from the same locality, viz. Sau Antonio, shot by Mr. Dresser and 
Dr. Heermann. 
In the British Museum there is a specimen sent to this country 
by Professor Baird, under the name of Lanius elegans, from Mexico. 
This bird was kindly shown to us by Mr. G. R. Gray; and we were 
glad to see it, as it confirms our opinion that the Lanius elegans of 
the American authors is nothing more than ZL. ludovicianus. 
6. LANIUS LAHTORA. 
Collurio lahtora, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 86 (deser. orig.) ; id. 
Journ. As. Soc. Beng. iii. p. 423 (1834) ; G. R. Gray, Hand-l. of B. 
i. p. 391 (1869). 
Lanius lahtora, J. E. Gray & Hardw. Ill. of Ind. Zool. ii. pl. 31 
(1833) ; G. R. Gray, Gen. of B. i. p. 290 (1847) ; Blyth, Cat. B. 
Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 151 (1849); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. i. 
p- 364 (1850); id. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1853, p. 294; Horsf. 
& Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E.-I. Co. i. p. 163 (1854) ; Jerd. B. of Ind. 
i. p. 400 (1862); Hartl. Ibis, 1859, p. 342 ; Heugl. Peterm. Mitth. 
1861, p. 23; Beav. Ibis, 1865, p. 418; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 367 ; 
Finsch & Hartl. Orn. Ost-Afr. p. 327 (1870); Heugl. Orn. N.-O. 
Afr. p. 483. 
Lanius elegans, Swains. Vaun. Bor.-Am. p. 122 (1831). 
