GREY SHftlKi:. 



pointing downwards: the muscles that move the 

 bill are very thick and strong, which makes the 

 head very large : the crown of the head, the back, 

 and the coverts that lie immediately on the joints 

 of the wings are ash-coloured; the rest of the 

 coverts black : the quill-feathers are black, marked 

 in their middle with a broad white bar ; and ex- 

 cept the four first feathers, and the same number 

 of those next the body, are tipped with white: the 

 tail consists of twelve feathers of unequal lengths, 

 the middle being the longest; the two middle- 

 most are black, the next on each side tipped with 

 white, and in the rest the white gradually increases 

 to the outmost, where that colour has either entire 

 possession, or there remains only a spot of black : 

 the cheeks are white, but crossed, from the bill to 

 the hind part of the head, with a broad black 

 stroke: the throaty breast, and belly are of a dirty 

 white: the legs are black: the female is of the 

 same colour with the male, the breast and belly 

 excepted, which are marked transversly with nu* 

 merous semicircular brown lines/* 



The Grey Shrike preys chiefly on the smaller 

 birds, which it attacks in the m^tnner of a Hawk, 

 and is observed, after strangling them, by strongly 

 compressing their neck, to fasten them on some 

 sharp thorn, in order conveniently to tear and 

 devour them. It is said to be very common in 

 Russia^ where its manners are thus described by 

 Edwards, on the authority of Mr. Bell, long resi- 

 dent in that country. 



" Mr. Bell, a curious and inquisitive gentleman. 



