406 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



261. Lanius cristatus, Linnaeus. 



Blyth, Cat. 874— HoRSF., Cat. 218— Edwards, Y., pi. 54— 

 L. superciliosus, L., apud Jerdon, 2nd Suppl., Cat. 51, bis — L. 

 ferrugiceps, Hodgs. — L. phsenicurus, Pallas — Batti gadu., Tel. — 

 vulgo Batti-Jdriti-gadu, Tel. 



The Brown Shrike. 



Deacr. —Above rufous-brown, with the head, tail, and the upper 

 tail-coverts, more rufous ; streak over the eye, sometimes faintly 

 and narrowly extending over the forehead, white ; throat white ; 

 the rest of the lower parts whitish, with a fulvous tinge ; lores and 

 ear-coverts, forming a broad band through the eye, dull brown- 

 black. Females and young much edged with brown bauds, and the 

 eye-spot paler and brown. 



Bill horny, dusky at the tip ; legs leaden-brown ; irides dark. 



Length 8 inches ; wing 3| ; tail 3|^. 



The Brown Shrike is found in almost every part of the plains of 

 India, during the cold weather, frequenting gardens, hedge-rows, 

 groves of trees, and low jungle. It disappears from the south of 

 India in the hot season ai)d rains, and most of them do the same 

 even in the north of India, but there a few couple stay and breed. 



Blyth says " Its peculiarly harsh chattering affords the earliest 

 intimation of the advent of the cold weather in Calcutta; but that a 

 few are found near at all seasons." He also remarks, that it occa- 

 sionally warbles very sweetly, towards the end of the cold season. 

 The Bengal name, Curcutia, is applied on account of its ordinary 

 harsh voice. Hamilton, in his manuscripts, remarks that it occasion- 

 ally builds near Calcutta ; but Tickell has, in this case, I think, as 

 in others, been misled by his native collectors, for he evidently de- 

 scribes the nest and eggs of a Bulbul for those of this Shrike, 

 vide J. A. S., XVII., 302. 



A nearly allied race, or species, exists in Malayana, L. suj^er- 

 ciliosiis, L., distinguished by its brighter rufous colour, and the 

 very conspicuous white frontal band and eyebrow ; and perhaps an- 

 other race, L. lucmiensis, L. (crasm^osfris, Kuhl, apud Bonaparte), 



