SHRIKE. 25 



18— DUBIOUS SHRIKE. 



Lanius chibius, In d. Om. Sup. p. xviii. Shaw's Zool, vii. 329. 

 Dubious Shrike, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. p. 73. 



LENGTH eight inches. Bill and legs yellow ; plumage in 

 general dusky ash ; tail cuneiform, the two middle feathers three 

 inches and a half long, the outmost two inches ; but the distinguish- 

 ing character of this species is, that all the feathers of the rump, and 

 some of the upper tail coverts, have a dash of fine crimson at the 

 end for one-third of an inch in length, at first sight appearing like 

 the singular appendages in the wing feathers of the Waxen Chatterer, 

 but on nearer inspection, are not of a horny texture as in that bird, 

 for the webs are in the crimson part, as in the rest of the feathers, 

 perfectly divisible. 



I met with a specimen of this bird at Mr. Thompson's, in Little 

 St. Martin 's-Lane, London, but without any history of its manners, 

 or country annexed. 



19._AFRICAN SHRIKE. 



Lanius afer, Jnd. Om. Sup. p. xix. 

 ■ signatus, Shaw's Zool. vii. 328. 



African Shrike, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 76. 



LENGTH five inches. Bill black, crown the same; forehead 

 white, passing in a line beneath the eye to the hindhead ; from this 



TOt. II. E 



