LANIUS CEISTATUS. 
381 
to its furthest limit, Ceylon. In the solitudes of Thibet it appears to bo a resident throughout the year; for 
Col. Prjevalsld writes that it » was observed throughout our travels, with the exception of Koko-nor, Tsaidam, 
and Northern Thibet. In those localities which we visited in winter, or early in spring, we found it most 
numerous in the Hoang-ho valley. In Ala-shan they breed in the sacsaulnics; and in Kan-sn they 
generally inhabit the low wooded plains. The first migrants were seen to arrive m the Hoang-ho valley on 
the 28th of April. It breeds commonly in the woods of Ussuri country, especially in those localities 
where there are many decayed or felled trees.” Swinhoe merely mentions it being oun a moy, an la 
he had frequently received it from Trans-Baikal in full summer plumage. Pere ayi is o oj • 
migrates from India to the borders of Lake Baikal and into the eastern parts of Siberia, as a so in 
China. It seems not unreasonable to doubt whether it performs siich a stupendous journey a 
incurred in crossing the vast territory known as Mongolia, with its lonely deserts anc ^ ® „ 
mountains, and thence through the scarcely less extensive region of Thibet, passing finally over le sp 
tlie Snowy ranges, and then spreading throughout the plains of India; and I would suggest t a ere 
probably a double migratoiy stream — the one from Thibet and the Hoang-ho valley passing 
Biu-mah, and the other from the Trans-Baikal region into China. As the L. phmmcurus of Pa as, it wa., 
remarks Lord Tweeddale, met with first by this traveller in the month of June amongst the roc is o 
mountain of Adon-Scholo, near the river Onon in Dauria.” 
Habits . — This “Butcher-bird^' frequents bushy land, uncultivated scrubby ground, hedge-rows, the 
borders of jungle, and all situations in which there are low trees and shrubs, on the tops of whic i it peic cs, 
flying from one to another, and repeatedly uttering its harsh cry. It is very querulous in its deposition, an 
there is no Ceylonese bird that I know of which gives one so much the impression of always being m a rage 
this ! On a sudden, when scarcely a bird-note is heard during the usual lull after the morning ee is ovc , 
one of these Shrikes will suddenly appear on the top of a cinnamon-bush, having flown up lom t e gioun 
from some low shrub, and commence screaming with all its might, whether by way of expressing i ® TP 
batiou of the flavour of the last lusty grasshopper that it has put an end to, or lor the purpose o sco lug 
nearest fellow mate must be left to some one better versed in bird-language than I , but certain i 
be the case. I have examples with heads almost as brown as those of the Philippine species, i r. urn ■ ^ > 
in his account of this species at the Andamans, that the bill is generally slightly onger an jn 
this rule does not invariably seem to hold good. 
Distribution. — Should this species visit Ceylon to a limited extent (and there is no reason wh> it should > , , 
found in the Andamans), it most probably strays over most of the low country. r. ume oes no men , , 
district his specimen came. It w'as originally described from Luzon, one of the P i ippines, w ^ 
Poivre. Lord Tw’eeddale writes that “it migrates to North China during the spring, an 
Philippines at the close of summer, many in their passage resting in Formosa, an some, accor mg oi mid found 
observations, passing the winter in that island. He also observed it passing over a ong- ong m e j , , 
it M Mien Bat, Korth China, durn.g the end of June, when, it, however, b«»m. mueh .e^.r 
Jnl,.- It muet-ireed in Chiu, for Swinhoe remarks (P. Z. S. 1871) that - thm,, coh.et.d on 
aU immature, as if the, had not stength to make the through voprge to rk.kl>P>»> 
Andaman, man, imm.tnr. birds no doubt remdn during the tool .ea»n for Mr. ^ ‘ JCbal In 
permanent resident in those islands. It was found in this group at Port Blair J „eeur there ou it. 
■La.,. rim it is a stmggl.r to the southern ex.remit, of the “SK slX t that sen. 
passage westward from the adjacent north-eastern portion of the continen . , • rPravaneore hills in Pebruarv : 
to Mr. Hume from Ceylon, is recorded by this gentleman as ^en ^^ters the belief 
it was nearly adult ; and this, at such a season of the year, is such an extraoidi y 
already expressed of its being perhaps a new and not yet discriminated species. 
Dabits.-Mr. Davison remarks that the habits of this Shrike do not differ from D. erythronotus ■, it kept to gardens 
in the Andamans and was very silent. Swinhoe, however, says that it has a swee song. 
