LESSER GREY SHRIKE. 605 



twig or two, a piece of flag- like rush, and a little wool at the foundation, 

 the whole nest is composed of a downy-leaved cudweed {Gnaphalium 

 dioicum), some in flower and some in seed, and most pulled up by the 

 roots. Naumann describes the nest as usually built in Germany of dry 

 roots, twigs, couch-grass, hay and straw, lined with wool, hair, and 

 feathers. 



The eggs vary in number from four to seven. Some are very round, 



measuring '95 by '8 inch. Others are much longer and more pointed, as, 



for example, 1"05 by "7 inch. The average size and shape lies between 



these extremes. The ground-colour is a pale bluish green. Some eggs have 



a few small greenish-brown spots, chiefly towards the larger end. Typical 



eggs have also larger spots or blotches ; whilst in examples which are 



exceptionally rich in their markings the spots round the egg towards the 



large end are confluent, but do not assume the form of a uniform band 



round the egg, because the underlying spots, which in all the varieties are 



paler and greener than the overlying spots, are distinctly visible amongst 



the others. The eggs of this bird may easily be distinguished from those 



of the Great Grey Shrike by their smaller size and much greener colour. 



Erom the largest and greenest varieties of the eggs of the Woodchat it is 



not quite so easy to separate them ; but the latter are very seldom if ever 



quite so large or quite so green. It is not known that rufous varieties of 



the eggs of the Lesser Grey Shrike ever occur. 



The Lesser Grey Shrike is a handsome bird, very similar in colour 

 to the Great Grey Shrike, but with a black forehead, and with pale 

 reddish-bufi' breast and flanks. Like Pallas's Grey Shrike, it has only 

 one T^-ing-bar. The female scarcely diifers from the male. In the young 

 the grey back is replaced by brown, and most of the feathers are trans- 

 versely barred, and the reddish tinge on the underparts is nearly obsolete. 

 Curiously enough, the moult of this bird appears to take place in winter ; 

 adult birds leave in their faded summer dress, and young birds in theii 

 barred plumage. Examples from South Africa in full moult are dated 

 January and February. 





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