8 SHRIKE. 



a large bed of black, reaching* on each side almost to the chin, and 

 passing downwards on the sides of the neck for more than an inch 

 and a half; wings and tail black, on the former a broad oblique 

 cinereous bar ; the ends of the side feathers, and outsides of the 

 exterior white. 



Inhabits India, called Lahtora. This I can consider in no other 

 light than a variety ; and in drawings from India, other variations 

 occur ; in one I observed no white in the wings, and the tail wholly 

 dusky ash-colour; in another called Lotterah the back was rufous. 



There seem to be two varieties of this bird in India, if not two 

 distinct species; in the first place, they are longer than the European; 

 the forehead and one-third of the crown are black, continued in a 

 broad band on each side, including the eye, and at least an inch 

 beyond it ; the plumage of the body much the same with our Cine- 

 reous Shrike, but brighter; the bill, too, is more stout; but besides 

 differing from the European sort in these particulars, they do so 

 between themselves ; for in one, called Doodeea Latoora chuta, the 

 tail is cuneiform, four of the middle feathers blue-black, the others 

 white the whole of the length ; in the other called Doodeea teynta, 

 or Doodeea Latoora Burra, the tail feathers are of equal length ; the 

 >i\ middle ones black, the others white. 



2.— MERIDIONAL SHRIKE. 



Pie-gnesche meridionale — Lanius meridionalis, Tern. Man. Ed. ii. p. 143. 



LENGTH nine inches. Head, nape, and back, deep ash-colour; 

 beneath the eyes a broad band of black, ending on the ears ; throat 

 reddish white ; the rest of the under parts inclining to ash, deeper 



