Birds of the Indian Hills 



The grey-backed shrike (Z. tephronotus) is 

 very like the rufous-backed species, but may 

 be distinguished by the fact that the grey of 

 the head extends more than half-way down 

 the back. 



As its name indicates, the black-headed shrike 

 (Z.. nigriceps) has the whole head black ; but 

 the cheeks, chin, and throat are white. 



Butcher-birds are of striking rather than 

 beautiful appearance. They have some very 

 handsome relatives which are known as mini- 

 vets. Every person must have seen a com- 

 pany of small birds with somewhat long tails, 

 clothed in bright scarlet and black — birds which 

 flit about among the trees like sparks driven 

 before the wind. These are cock minivets. 

 The hens, which are often found in company 

 with them, are in their way equally beautiful 

 and conspicuous, for they are bright yellow in 

 those parts of the plumage where the cocks are 

 scarlet. It is impossible to mistake a minivet, 

 but it is quite another matter to say to which 

 species any particular minivet belongs. The 

 species commonly seen about our hill stations 

 are Pericrocotus speciosus, the Indian scarlet 

 minivet, and P. brevirostris, the short-billed 

 minivet. The former is 9 inches long, while 



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