4l^ES. 341 



A lively active bird, and less skulking in its habits than 

 most bush Shrikes. The male has a most melodious 

 flute-like whistle, rarely single, generally of three or 

 four notes, "which must be familiar to every Abyssinian 

 traveller : the answer of the female is a hoarse note, 

 something like that of the common Shrike. Besides this, 

 the bird has another call, like 'ttik-ttik-tuk-tatatattik ' 

 quickly uttered. 



In January and February these Shrikes abounded, 

 generally in families of four or five, in the pass leading 

 to Senafe between 3,000 and 6,000 feet. None were 

 ever seen around ZuUa. In May they were common at 

 a much greater elevation, even at 8,000 and 9,000 feet 

 near Senafd, where none were met with three mouths 

 before. They were occasionally seen in Samhar around 

 Ailat, &c. in July, and they abounded in the Anseba 

 valley. They thus appear to have a considerable range in 

 altitude, being, however, most common at aU periods of 

 the year in the subtropical regions. They feed, like other 

 bush Shrikes, on various small insects picked ofi" the 

 leaves and stems. 



In July, near Kelamet in the Lebka valley, I saw two 

 couples of these birds together, engaged in a most extra- 

 ordinary dance-like motion. They were sitting on small 

 branches, moving their bodies up and down, as if cour- 

 tesying to each other, the males meantime constantly 

 repeating their flute-like notes, to which the females 

 answered. This extraordinary proceeding continued for 

 a long time. 



I give the synonymy of this bird at some length, 



