RED-BACKED SHRIKE. %'Zd 



the reason why several unfortunate victims may be some- 

 times found in this cruel situation on the divers thorns of 

 the same bush ; if birds, their brains have mostly been 

 consumed. 



The moult of this species takes place late in the autumn, 

 after the birds have left us, and they return in their new 

 feathers. 



The entire length of the Red-backed Shrike is seven 

 inches ; the wing, from carpus to tip, three inches and a 

 half; the tail measures rather more than three inches, and 

 extends an inch and a half beyond the tips of the folded 

 wings. The legs are long and slender ; the tarsus mea- 

 sures nearly an inch ; the feet are small ; the beak is very 

 strong and thick, hooked, and notched near the point. 



The male, female, and young of this species differ con- 

 siderably in their plumage. The adult male has the beak 

 and legs black, and a black band crosses the forehead above 

 the beak, and extends above and below the eye towards 

 the nape. The rest of the head, the nape, and tippet, are 

 fine blue-grey ; the lower part of the back, and upper 

 coverts of the tail, the same. The larger and lesser wing- 

 coverts are rufous, and the same colour extends across the 

 back ; the rest of the wing is dusky, with a border of rufous 

 on the tertial feathers. The throat and sides of the neck 

 are white ; the breast and all the under-parts pale yellowish- 

 pink ; the two central feathers of the tail are entirely black ; 

 all the other feathers are white at the base, and black to- 

 ward the end of the feather, the black portion decreasing 

 on each feather, so that the outer feather on each side retains 

 but a single dark spot ; all these are tipped with white. 

 The eyelids are black, and the iris of the eye reddish- 

 brown. 



The female is ferruginous -brown on the upper parts, tinged 

 on the nape and rump with ash-grey ; under parts greyish- 



