374 



BIRDS OCCURRING IN INDIA NOT DESCRIBED 



Young. — 'Differs from the adult in being rather duller in co- 

 lour. — Dresser, ic Birds of Europe." 



257 his.— Lanius caniceps, Blyth. 



It is curious how often Lanius caniceps, erythronotus, and 

 tephronotus are confounded, yet they are really very distinct, as 

 the subjoined comparative table will show : — 



L. erythro- 



notus, 



L. caniceps. 



I. tephro- 

 notus. 



frontal band. 



From 0-1 to 0'3 

 inch in width. 



Ditto. 



Almost entirely 

 wanting. 



General colour 



of 



upper parts. 



Somewhat pale 

 ashy grey, 



Ditto. 



Somewhat 



dark ashy 



brown, 



Extent of 



rufous on upper 



surface. 



"Whole lower 

 back, rump, 

 upper tail-co- 

 verts and lon- 

 ger scapulars. 



Rump and 

 upper tail-co- 

 verts only. 



Ditto. 



Colour of tail-feathers. 



Central tail-feathers 

 black, or blackish 

 brown; laterals brown, 

 with a grey tint. 



Ditto. 



Central tail-feathers 

 deep rufous brown; 

 laterals growing pa- 

 ler as they recede from 

 the centre, all rufous 

 brown. 



Besides this, caniceps has the middle portion of the abdomen 

 right down to the vent white, while in erythronotus the lower 

 portion of the abdomen, and the feathers above the vent are 

 bright ferruginous.- 



-Hume, J.A.S. B., 1871, 117. 



281 bis.— Buchanga leucopygialis, Bly. 



Similar to ccerulescens but smaller ; the tip of the upper man- 

 dible (it would seem constantly) more produced ; and the white 

 confined to the lower tail-coverts ; the abdominal region being 

 merely somewhat paler than the breast. Length of wing, 5'37 

 inches. This appears to be a common'species in Ceylon. — Blyth. 



Sharpe thus describes this species, and a supposed different 

 sub-species (insularis), which I do not consider distinct : — 



B.insularis — Adult Male. — Similar to B. ccerulescens, but 

 much smaller and darker, especially on the throat and chest, 

 which are slaty brown, with a distinct gloss of steel blue ; 

 ^ bill and legs black, the edges of the scales on the latter 



