PLATE CCIV. 



The male of the Red-backed Butcher Bird has been reprefented 

 in an early part of the prefent work : the female differs from the male 

 in the general appearance, and the colours and marks upon the 

 plumage as will be perceived from the annexed plate. In thefe par- 

 ticulars the female bears fome refemblance to the young of the male 

 birds ; but is larger than the adult male. The length eight inches. 



It is fome years fmce our figure of the male bird and that of the 

 Wood Chat appeared ; thefe have been oftentimes confidered by writers 

 as varieties of the fame fpecies. We take this opportunity of ftating, 

 that fuch an opinion is extremely erroneous, and can have arifen only 

 from the want of due comparifon. We have been for fome years in 

 poffeffion of a very fine fpecimen of the Wood Chat, and have feen a 

 number of the Red-backed Shrike fince our former account was pub- 

 limed, the final refult of which is an unequivocal conviction in our 

 own mind, that they are decidedly diftin6t fpecies. And to this opi- 

 nion, after fome unpleafant cavilling on the part of certain cotempo- 

 rary writers, we have the fatisfa&ion to perceive the naturalifts of the 

 prefent day concede. 



, ' -v: -0 i e \h8 .^soattA 



PLATE 



