SHRIKES 1 61 



whose name is well known to South African ornithologists, 

 told a good story at a nxeetiag of the Johannesburg Field 

 Naturalists' Club, just prior to the Boer War. He said that 

 while residing in Bloemfontein, he was one day fetched by 

 a friend to shoot some bird that had killed one. of his canaries, 

 and on arrival at the friend's house the latter pointed to a 

 pert specimen of the Fiskal coolly sitting on the railing and 

 said, " Don't shoot him — ^he is so tame, those are the brutes," 

 and pointed to a couple of harmless Bulbuls which were 

 hopping about the branches of a tree. 



The Piskal Shrike builds rather a neat, cup-shaped nest 

 of weeds, grass, twine, &c., lined with feathers, and lays 

 usually three eggs of a pale greeny tint, marked with pale 

 brown spots and purplish brown blotches on the thick 

 ends. 



It is commonly known as the " Jack-hanger " and 

 " Butcher-bird " in the Cape, the " Jacky-hangman " in 

 Natal, and the " Lachsman " in the Transvaal. It is 

 brownish-black above with a white patch on the wing, and 

 white below. Length, 8 inches. 



The Eed-backed Shrike (L. collurio) is a migrant from 

 Europe, and does not breed out here. It can easily be 

 recognised from the other Shrikes by its chestnut-coloured 

 back and pinkish under-parts. Length, 7 inches. 



The Brubru Shrike {Nilaus bruhru) is of a glossy black and 

 white with a distinct frontal band across the forehead, 

 extending on either side of the head in the shape of a pro- 

 nounced white eyebrow running right on to the temporal 

 region of the head. 



It is found from the Orange Eiver northwards and lays 

 three to five eggs of a white ground colour spotted with 

 brown. 



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