28 HOODED SHBIKE. 



differ from their allies. They live in pairs and fiiniilies in underwood, 

 often far removed from any water, run frequently, and often quickly, 

 with upraised and outspread tails on the bare earth, and among bushes. 

 They are mostly inoffensive and confiding. Their flight is low and 

 hovering, and the very clear, full, and resounding call-note may be 

 almost represented by dui-dui, chit-chui, and at intervals may be 

 heard the wooden rattle of the female. After heavy storms of rain 

 this bird, whose feathers are but slightly oily and eagerly receive the 

 water, rises high in the air, and here produces, by the quick tremu- 

 lo^TS movement of its wings, a peculiar noise, like the whirr of the 

 Woodpecker. Both sexes have the same plumage. The eggs are 

 oval, fine-shelled, white, with rusty brown and greenish and lively 

 reddish brown spots and streaks, more particularly at the larger end. 

 Length ten and one third by seven and a half lines." 



The following account of this bird is given by Le Vaillant, in his 

 "Histoire des Oiseux d'Afrique:" — 



The Tchagra is about the size of our European Grey Shrike; its 

 tail, very slightly sloped, is simply rounded at the end; the 

 upj)er part of the head is of a brownish black, slightly shaded with 

 olive; the back of the neck and scapulars and ujjper part of the 

 body are of a tan-brown colour : throat whitish. A white band springs 

 from the corner of the eye, and is prolonged from thence with a 

 black line, which is parallel. The neck above and the body below 

 are ash-coloured; the great covers of the wings and the upper edges 

 of the quill feathers are of a ferruginous red, the rest brown, with 

 a greenish shade above; below entirely ash-coloured. The two middle 

 feathers of the tail are of a brownish grey, imperceptibly shaded 

 with a deeper colour; the others are blackish, all tipped with white. 

 Beak horny black, as well as the feet; iris brown. 



This bird frequents the most covered and thickest places; it would 

 be very difficult to discover were it not continually betrayed by its 

 song. The male has a note which is heard far off, and which is very 

 well expressed by Hcha-tcha, tcha-gra,' from which Le Vaillant derived 

 its name. 



The female is rather smaller than the male, and has not the 

 upper part of its head black; in every other respect they are exactly 

 alike, except a rather darker shade, which may be discovered on 

 the mantle of the male and in the red of its quill feathers. 



The nest of these Shrikes is found in the bushes; they lay five 

 eggs, spotted with brown. 



When young the Tchagra has all the upper part of the body of 

 a much lighter ashy brown than is represented in the figure given 



