The leffer Butcher-Bird. Lanius tertius.
Numb. XIV, XV.
IT weighed two Ounces and a half ; from the Tip o f the Bill to the End o f the Tail
'twas feven Inches and a half long ; from the Tip of one Wing to the Tip of the
other when extended 'twas twelve Inches and a half broad,
The Bill was an Inch long, black and ftrong ; the Tip o f the upper Chap hooked ;
near the hooked Part furniihed with two angular Appendices, over hanging the lower
Chap when the Mouth is ihut, it having no Dents or Cavities to receive thefe Appendices,
wherein the Bill o f this Bird differs from that o f the Hobby or Keftrel-, the
Mouth within yellow ; the Cleft o f the PeiUt« i-ough, the Tongue divided into many
"Filaments; the Noftrils round, about the Noftrils and Corners o f the Mouth grew fliff
black Hairs or Briftles ; the middle of the back, and leffer Rows o f Feathers covering
the upper Side o f the Wing redifh or ferrugineous ; the Head and Rump cinereous ;
from the Corners o f the Mouth through the Eyes a black Stroak is produced beyond
the Ears ; this black Line is terminated and divided from the. A fh-Colour by another
whitifh Line; the lower Belly is white, as is alfo the Throat and Breaft. with a faint
,Tin£turc o f red,
There is in each Wing eighteen beam Feathers ; the firft or outmoft very fhort and
little, the third longeft o f a ll; the Wings Ihut much ihortcr than the T a il; the
greater Wing Feathers dusky ; the exteriour Vanes of thofe next the Body being red;
the Edges o f the middlemoft white; the Tail is three Inches long, compofed of
twelve Feathers, o f which, the outmoft is fhorteft ; the reft on each Side in Order
longer to the middlemoft, which are the longeft, and almoft wholly black; of the
next to thefe, the Bottoms or lower Parts are white, efpecialLy the interiour Web;
o f the four next on each Side, the lower half is white, as alfo the Tips; of the out-
Bioft, the exteriour Webs are wholly white.
The Feet are black, the outmoft Toe joined at the bottom to the middlemoft ; the
Tefticles white and round; the Gall large ; the Guts eleven Inches long; the blind
Gut fhort and little; in the Stomach, when differed, was found Flies and. Beetles.
They build their Neft of Grafs, Bents, and Feathers, in which they lay five or fix Eggs,
pretty large and of an oblong Shape, almoft wholly white, except toward the blunter
E n d ; they are encompaffed with a Circle o f dark red, as it were a Coronet* This
Bird was a Cock. , .
The hen is a very fmall matter lefs than the Cock ; the Bill of a dusky cinereous
■Colour with a Dalh o f red ; the Top of the Head, Back, and prime Feathers o f the
Wings, o f a dark redifh brown; the leffer Rows o f covert Feathers are inclining to-
le d ; the Throat and Breaft of a dusky White with fome circular tranfverfe Lines of a
dusky Colour, after the manner of the Wrynecks the Belly and the Thighs are white;
the Legs and Feet of a pale redifh. brown : The Tail of the fame Colour of the Back,
the under Part white.
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