A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF GILGIT. 105 
characterized by the shape of the tail:—One (A) embracing 
ceristatus, phenicurus, and allies, in which all the rectrices are 
narrow, the outer pair decidedly more narrow than the next, 
and over three-quarters of an inch shorter than the uropy- 
gials; and another (B), which includes isabellinus, pheni- 
curoides, speculigerus, and collurio (female and young), in 
which the tail-feathers are broad, with the outermost pair as 
broad as the next, and not more than half an inch shorter 
than the centrals. Now I examined the specimen secured by 
Major Biddulph, and identified in his listas ZL. cristatus. It 
certainly belonged to section B, and was one of the three 
following species ; but which of these, I am not prepared to 
say without further examination. 
Lanius isabellinus, Hemp. & Hhr. (262.) 
Lanius arenarius, Blyth. 
This Shrike only passes through Gilgit on migration. I 
obtained an adult specimen on the 27th April, which mea- 
sured :-—Length, 7°4 inches ; wing, 3°5 ; tail, 3:1; tarsus, 0°94. 
Third and fourth quills equal and longest, second interme- 
diate in length between the sixth and seventh; fifth, sixth, 
and seventh primaries with a small spot of white on both 
webs at base; head and back pale sandy ; lower surface cream- 
coloured, slightly tinged with rufous; lores white, with a small 
dark spot in front of the eye. 
Mr. Dresser, in his “ Birds of Europe,” has figured ZL. phe- 
nicuroides under the name of the present species, on the 
assumption that ZL. phenicuroides merely represents the full 
breeding-plumage of L. isabellinus. That this is an error I 
can assert, as I obtained many specimens of ZL. zsabellinus in 
breeding-plumage, in Yarkand, not differing in colour at all from 
winter examples common in collections from the north-west of 
India. I may here mention that the young of ZL. isabellinus 
differs altogether from the young of JL. phenicuroides, 
the former being even paler isabelline above than the 
adults, and very slightly cross-barred on the lower surface, 
while in young Z. phenicuroides the colour above is dark 
rufous-brown, and the underparts are prominently cross- 
barred. 
Lanius speculigerus differs from L. isabellinus in having the 
whole lores black, and it has a large white patch on the wing. 
A difference in shape of bill has also been insisted on; but in 
the few examples of Z. speculigerus I have examined there 
seemed to be hardly any variation in this respect. 
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