£8 tUk zoologist. 



the rump and upper tail coverts," and Lanius major (p. 239), as differing 

 from it " in having the lower rump and upper tail coverts white." Pale 

 whitish grey well describes the colour of those parts in excubitor, though 

 the exact shade varies in different specimens. But I certainly should not 

 expect L. major to have white upper tail coverts, i. e., paler than those of 

 L. excubitor. For this reason : in this group of Shrikes the degree of 

 development of the white on one part of the bird is greater or less in pro- 

 portion to its development on the other parts ; but there seem to be some 

 exceptions to this rule. For example, as an instance of the rule applying, 

 in my two specimens approaching L. homeyeri, in which species the white on 

 the secondaries and tail is much more extensive than in L. excubitor, the 

 upper tail coverts are pure white and the rump paler than in that species. 

 Something must doubtless be allowed for age, and perhaps sex. Thus L. 

 borealis, in adult summer plumage, is described by Dr. Gadow as having a 

 pure white rump and upper tail coverts. But young birds appear from his 

 descriptions to have these parts coloured. In my specimen from Massa- 

 chusetts (apparently a young bird in winter dress), they are pale grey, with 

 a strong wash of light brown. This made me think that perhaps L. major 

 did not acquire the white rump until quite adult. For I have for some 

 time been possessed of a Norfolk example of this form (evidently a young 

 bird, from the well-marked and extensive vermiculations on the under 

 surface, and the wash of pale brown on the head and mantle), which has 

 the rump and upper tail coverts grey, quite as dark as in the darkest of my 

 three skins of the typical excubitor, or as in even two birds intermediate 

 between that form and L. major. This winter, however, I have obtained a 

 specimen of Pallas's Shrike, killed at Wardington, Oxon, in November, 

 which, as far as I can see is quite adult, but still has the rump aud upper 

 tail coverts grey. The vermiculations, always present in this species, do 

 not extend on to the cheeks and lower throat, as in my immature speci- 

 men ; and although there is a slight wash of warm brown on the cheeks and 

 breast, more apparent at the sides of the latter, this is extremely faintly 

 developed, if at all, on the head and back. This Wardington bird is the 

 darkest-coloured Grey Shrike I ever saw, quite a plumbaceous grey on the 

 head and back, as dark as that of L. meridionalis, but without the blue 

 cast. The rump is the same dark grey as the back, and the tail coverts are 

 darker than those of any other Grey Shrike I have, but are slightly tinged 

 with a brownish colour. I am aware that Mr. Seebohm says of L. major, 

 " the thoroughbred adult male * * * differing from the Great Grey Shrike 

 in having a white rump," and although I do not presume to call his opinion 

 and that of Dr. Gadow in question, I should be very glad to know if L. 

 major is generally observed to have a white rump and upper tail coverts, 

 and if so, then to what form my two birds with grey rumps and ipper tail 

 coverts (one at least of which cannot be called young), which agree with the 



