ROCK SHRIKE. 503 



doubted whether it might not rank in that genus 

 full as naturally as in the present, in which how- 

 ever it is stationed by Linnseus in the System a 

 Natures, though in the Fauna Suecica he had con- 

 sidered it as a Corvus. Its size is that of the 

 Grey Shrike: the bill is black; the head brown, 

 the body cinereous, with the sides testaceous: the 

 wing-feathers are brown, but rufo-testaceous at 

 their base : the upper and under coverts rufo-test- 

 aceous : the three first wing-feathers are gradually 

 shortened: tail rounded, length of the body, en- 

 tire, rufo-testaceous, except the two middle fea- 

 thers, which are cinereous with a blackish bar, and 

 the two next to these are tipped on each side with 

 ash-colour: the tail-coverts are rufo-testaceous: 

 the legs black : the feathers of the whole bird are 

 of a silky texture, as in the Common Jay. 



This bird is a native of the north of Europe, 

 and is found as high as Lapland: it has the repu- 

 tation of being a bird of ill omen; for which rea- 

 son Linnasus seems to have applied to it the trivial 

 name of infaustus. It is of an audacious nature, and 

 we are told by Linnaeus that when dining amidst 

 the Lapland forests, it would often seize on the 

 viands before him. It feeds on worms and insects, 

 and is said to have a fine note, for which reason it 

 is often kept in a cage, 



Var, 



This, which is mentioned by Buffon, and figured 

 in the Planches Etiluminees under the title of 



