GREY CROW-SHRIKE. 
Adult male. General colour of the upper and under-surface black, inclining to slaty-black 
on the abdomen and sides of the body ; the feathers on the lores and fore-cheeks are 
bristly in texture, as are also those on the chin ; the feathers on the throat have 
glossy-black shafts, which imparts a more or less streaked appearance ; the inner 
webs of the flight-quills are white on the basal portion of the inner webs and more 
or less fringed with greyish-white at the tips ; tail-feathers also greyish-white at the 
tips, slightly on the middle feathers, but much more extensively on the lateral ones ; 
under-surface of flight-quills blackish with a patch of white at the base ; under tail- 
coverts white, and the lower aspect of the tail similar to its upper-surface with a 
slight tendency to greyish-white at the base. Eyes yellow, bill and feet black. 
Total length 585 mm. ; culmen 73, wing 291, tail 230, tarsus 70. Figured. Collected 
on Mt. Arthur, Tasmania, on the 8th of June, 1915, and is Strepera arguta Gould. 
Adult male. General colour both on the upper and under-surface dusky lead-grey with 
blackish shaft-lines ; crown of head and fore part of face black, becoming dark 
smoke-brown on the ear-coverts, the feathers on the lores and fore-part of cheeks 
bristly in texture ; chin black with hair-like tips to the feathers ; bastard-wing 
and primary-coverts black with more or less white at the base and tips of the feathers ; 
flight-quills black tipped with white, and an extensive amount of white on the inner 
webs which becomes less and confined to the basal portion on the secondaries ; some 
of the outer primaries freckled with pale smoke-brown and white on the outer webs ; 
tail black tipped with white, more extensively on the lateral feathers, the inner- 
webs of the feathers also white at the base ; under-surface of flight-quills blackish, 
extensively white at the base and fringed with white at the tips — more broadly on 
the secondaries ; under tail-coverts and base of tail white ; lower aspect of tail 
similar to its upper-surface but paler. Eyes bright yellow, feet and bill black. 
Total length 555 mm. ; culmen 73, wing 300, tail 235, tarsus 73. Figured. Collected 
in the Everard Ranges, Central Australia, on the 14th of August, 1914, and is the 
type of Neostrepera versicolor centralia. 
Adult female similar to the male. 
Eggs. Three eggs usually form the full clutch for this species, and a typical clutch of 
three eggs taken at Kurrajong, New South Wales, on the 22nd of September, 1888, 
has a ground-colour of a pale pinkish-buff well spotted and blotched with purplish- 
brown, light to dark umber and chestnut. Surface of shell minutely pitted all 
over, smoothly granular and glossy. The clutch measures 44-45 mm. by 29. 
Another clutch of three eggs, taken at Ararat, Victoria, on the 8th of September, 
1898, has a ground-colour of a pale olive-brown, spotted with pale purplish-brown 
and umber. Surface of shell somewhat granular and almost devoid of gloss. The 
clutch measures 42-43 mm. by 29-30. 
Nest. Is a large open structure of sticks, lined with bark and grasses, and placed high up 
in a tree. 
The eggs of this species vary from two to three in number for a setting, and are subject to 
much variation in their size, shape, and general dispositions in the colouring and 
markings. A clutch of three taken at the Lockier River, near Mingenew, Western 
Australia, on the 27th of September, 1907, has a dark brownish-buff ground-colour 
well spotted and blotched, particularly at the larger ends, with scattered markings 
of very dull purplish-brown, and numerous markings of pale to dark brownish- 
red, and here and there a small jet-black spot resembling Indian ink. Swollen 
ovals in shape. Shell granular and smooth, and rather glossy. The clutch 
measures 42-44 mm. by 29 ( plumbea ). 
The nest of this species is a large open substantial structure of sticks, often very neatly built, 
and lined with fine twigs and dried grasses, and frequently placed high up in the 
topmost forked branches of a tall tree, or near the end of a horizontal limb (plumbea). 
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