THE BIRDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 249 
Eleven skins examined : ¢, Basra, 19-4-17,;¢, Sheik Saad, 31-4-18(P. Z. C. 
and R. E.C.);9, Amara 232-4-18,1-5-18; ¢, Baghdad, 12-9-17 (P.A. B.); Basra, 
€-5.19 (L. Home) ; Feluia 9. 23-4-17 (two), 27-4-17 (C. R. P.); ¢ Sheik Saad, 
p- 2-5-17 (Robinsion) ; Baghdad, 7-9-17 (Ingoldby). 
64. Red-backed Shrike. Lanius collurio. 
Lanius collurio, L. (Syst. Nat. Ed., x., p. 94, 1758—-Sweden). 
The Red-backed Shrike is also a passage migrant in large numbers. The 
first few males arrive in the last days of March and small numbers are to be 
met with throughout April, but it is not until towards the end of the month 
and the early part of May that they pass through in any quantity, when they 
become very common and are widely distributed. The return passage begins 
in the last days of August and they quickly become common and soon pass on, 
our latest date being September 24th, though Cumming at Fao recorded it up 
to mid-November. Weigold found it common on sprmg passage at Urfa and 
remarks that of his numerous specimens some are typical c. collurio, some typical 
c. kobylinit and four are intermediate. This latter race was named by Buturlin 
(Ibis, 1906, p. 416—Kutais in 8. Caucasus) as Zarudny’s name fuscatus for the 
eastern race was preoccupied, but [ must point out that Zarudny in employing 
this name used Hnneoctonus as the generic name, and that if this genus is used 
for the Red-backed Shrike, as it is by some, Zarudny’s name must be upheld ; if 
however Lanius is preferred then Buturlin’s name should stand. On points 
like this, and they are always arising, there can never be any uniformity 
of nomenclature or finality, unless every one agrees on the limitations of 
genera ! 
This supposed eastern race is said to differ in the rather paler and restricted 
amount of the chestnut colour of the mantle. As Weigold remarks one often 
cannot measure this as it is quite indefinite where the colour begins and ends, 
and as he says some are intermediate. The truth is kobylini is a thoroughly 
bad race ! 
I have examined six spring males from Kutais, Caucasus and North Persia 
and about eight spring males from Mesopotamia (which one may suppose should 
also belong to this race), together with a large series of European males and I 
find that the shade of the chestnut colour and its width vary very much both in 
eastern and European examples; it so happens that in the Kutais birds it is 
broad ! and in the Caucasian bird very dark! I cannot see any distinguishing 
character between birds from the east and west; the bills too vary very much 
in size throughout the range of the species. 
Seventeen specimens examined ¢ ¢, Amara, 7-5-18,;¢ ¢.Baghdad, 31-8-17, 
3, 24-9-17 9, Amara, 6-5-18, 16-4-19 (P. A. B.): 2 9,Fao, 10-5-18 (Armstrong) ; 
3 >Feluja, 24-4-17, ¢, 21-4-17, 9, 23-4-17 (C. R. P.); Basra, 6-5-19 (L. Home) ; 
Tekrit, 17-4-19, ¢, Sheik Saad, 10-9-17 (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.); ¢,Sulimania ; 
2-9-17 (Ross). 
65. Red-tailed Shrike. Lanius cristatus. 
(1) Lanius cristatus isabellinus, H. and E. (Symb. Phys. fol. e. Anm., 
1828—Gonfode in Arabia). 
(2) Lanius cristatus phoenicuroides, Schal. (J. F. O., 1875, p. 148— 
Tschimkent). 
The two races were naturally not identified in the field and records are scanty ; 
judging from specimens obtained isabellinus is a common winter visitor arriving 
during the last ten days of September, though one or the other form occurs 
at the beginning of the month. It frequents thorny scrub or gardens singly, 
or two or three in near proximity ; it leaves again somewhat late in the spring 
{the latest specimen is April 29th), completing its body moult in February 
and March before departure. 
32 
