fearless, and quarrelsome bird, never allowing any bird of prey to
remain long within its particular district. This species has the habit
of impaling its prey, immediately after capture, on a thorn or a
naturally pointed stick or branch—a custom which is said to have
earned for it, from the colonists, the name of Fiskal, derived from the
title of the Dutch colonial magistrate of former times. The food of
this Shrike consists chiefly of various insects; but it will also attack
young birds, rats, and mice. It perches on some branch of a tree
commanding a good view, whence it precipitates itself upon its prey
when perceived, whether on the ground or on the wing. It flies
low, alternately rising and dipping, but invariably in a straight
line, and does not move far at a time, generally only to the first
convenient tree. During the breeding season battles take place
between the males; and it is at this season also that the bird is
heard to sing in a strain at once varied and continuous, accompanying*
his warblings with many different gesticulations. This species
builds in the forks of trees, and constructs its nest of bark, moss,
and flexible roots, lined inside with feathers, wool, &c. The eggs,
which both parents assist in incubating, are four or five in number,
broad at one end and very short, of a dusky green, with brown
spots clustered thickly round the larger end/'’
Mr. T. Ayres gives a similar account of the habits of this bird in
hiatal, and says that it impales mice, small rats, lizards, chameleons,
and other large insects on the thorns of the bush on which it
perches.
Adult male.— G e n e r a l c o lo u r a b o v e s o o ty b l a c k , t h e lo r e s ,
f e a t h e r s r o u n d t h e e y e , e a r - c o v e r t s , a n d s id e s o f n e c k u n i f o rm
w i t h t h e h e a d ; s c a p u l a r s w h i t e , w i t h d u l l g r e y i s h b a s e s ; w in g s
e n t i r e l y b l a c k i s h , t h e q u i ll s r a t h e r b r o w n e r , t h e i n n e r p r im a r i e s
w h i t e a t t h e b a s e o f b o t h w e b s , f o rm in g a n a l a r s p e c u l u m ; r u m p
a n d u p p e r t a i l - c o v e r t s d a r k - g r e y ; t a i l - f e a th e r s b l a c k , t h e f o u r o u t e r
o n e s o n e a c h s id e w h i t e a t t h e t i p , i n c r e a s in g i n e x t e n t o n b o t h
w e b s t o w a r d s t h e o u t e rm o s t . W h ich i s e n t i r e l y w h i t e w i th t h e
e x c e p t io n o f t h e i n n e r w e b , w h i c h is b l a c k i s h a t t h e b a s e ; c h e e k s
a n d t h r o a t w h i t e ; b r e a s t a n d s id e s o f b o d y l i g h t a s h y g r e y , t h e
c e n t r e o f t h e a b d o m e n a n d u n d e r t a i l - c o v e r t s p u r e w h i t e : t h i g h s
w h i t e w i t h d u s k y b a s e s to t h e f e a t h e r s ; u n d e r w i n g - c o v e r t s w h i t e
w i t h b l a c k i s h b a s e s , t h e a x i l l a r i e s b l a c k i s h w i th b r o a d w h i t e e d g e s ;
u n d e r s u r f a c e o f t h e q u i ll s a s h y b r o w n w i th p a le b r o w n e d g e s to
the inner webs; “ bill black: feet greyish black; iris black”
(Andersson). Total length, 8-5 inches; culmen, 0‘7 ; wing, 3‘9;
tail, 4'2 ; tarsus, 1"1.
Adult female.—Similar to the male but with chestnut flanks.
Total length, 9 inches; wing, 3'7 ; tail, 4-3 ; tarsus, 1’05.
The young bird has a rufous tinge throughout, darkest on the back,
and minutely crossed with small dark brown bars. The edges of
the wing and tail feathers are very rufous.
Fig. Le Vaill. Ois. d’Afr. pis. 61, 62.
360. L anjus subcoronatus, Smith. Coronneted Shrike.
This species is nearly allied to L. collaris, but is distinguished at
once by its broad white eyebrow; it so closely resembles the last
mentioned bird in all its habits, that it was not found to be distinct
until one was accidentally killed by the members of Sir A. Smith s
expedition. It was first seen by them at Latakoo, and we have
received it from Kuruman, where it was procured by Mr. R. Moffat.
Mr. Andersson gives the following note:—“ This Shrike is common
in the northern parts of Great Namaqua Land, and also in Damara
Land, and the parts adjacent to the east and north. Its mode of
flight, manners, and habits, are identical with those of the preceding
species.”
Three specimens have been also obtained by Anchieta near the
mouth of the River Ooroca, in Mossamedes.
Mr. Guillemard considers that the present bird replaces the
Fiskal Shrike to a certain extent in the Orange Free State and
the country north of the Diamond Fields. Mr. T. Ayres has shot
it on one occasion near Potchefstroom on the 23rd of March.
Adult male—Above, slaty-blackish; lores and a broad eyebrow,
white; feathers in front of and round the eye, dusky; ear-coverts
blackish, darker than the head; scapulars, white; wing-coverts and
quills dark brown, the primary-coverts and secondaries narrowly
tipped with white, the primaries white at the base, forming a large
alar speculum; lower back and upper tail-coverts grey, the rump
white; tail feathers blackish, the four middle ones entirely so, the
next slightly tipped with white, these white tips increasing in
extent towards the outermost, and running along the outer edge of
the feather, until in the last the white occupies the outer web and
the terminal half of the feather; cheeks and entire under surface of