OCR Text |
Show 1870,] ON EUROPEAN SHRIKES. 595 5. LANIUS LUDOVICIANUS. Lanius ludovicianus, Linn.; Baird, Rev. of Am. B. p. 443. Lanius excubitoroides, Sw. ; Baird, I. c. p. 444. Lanius elegans, Baird et auct. Amer. (nee Sw.). Upper parts dark French grey; rump and upper tail-coverts lighter; scapulars broadly edged with white; quills black, the inner web white towards the base, the basal half of the outer web of the primaries white, forming a white alar bar ; secondaries broadly tipped with white; tail black, the central feathers just edged with white, the next more broadly tipped, this latter colour predominating towards the external feathers, which are almost entirely white ; a narrow band across the forehead, lores, feathers round the eye, and ear-coverts jet-black ; whole underparts white, with occasional slight indication of transverse vermiculations ; bill and feet black. Professor Baird, in his elaborate ' Review of American Birds,' has gone very closely into the question of the specific distinctions between L. ludovicianus and L. excubitoroides ; but we must confess that we can scarcely agree with even so good an authority on North-American birds as the learned Professor; and we base our opinion principally on the analogous changes of plumage through which all the other Grey Shrikes appear to pass. W e have not, indeed, such an extensive series for comparison as Professor Baird has at his command in the Smithsonian Museum, but have no inconsiderable number of specimens before us from various localities in the United States and Mexico. Amongst these we have thoroughly typical L excubitoroides and L. ludovicianus (based on Professor Baird's own descriptions) from the same locality, viz. San Antonio, shot by Mr. Dresser and Dr. Heermann. In the British Museum there is a specimen sent to this country by Professor Baird, under the name of Lanius elegans, from Mexico. This bird was kindly shown to us by Mr. G. R. Gray; and we were glad to see it, as it confirms our opinion that the Lanius elegans oi the American authors is nothing more than L. ludovicianus. 6. LANIUS LAHTORA. Collurio lahtora, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 86 (descr. orig.) ; id. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. iii. p. 423 (1834) ; G. R. Gray, Hand-1. of B. i. p. 391 (1869). Lanius lahtora, J. E. Gray & Hardw. 111. of Ind. Zool. ii. pl. 31 (1833) ; G. R. Gray, Gen. of B. i. p. 290 (1847) ; Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 151 (1849); Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 364 (1850); id. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1853, p. 294; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E.-I. Co. i. p. 163 (1854); Jerd. B. of Ind. i. p. 400 (1862); Hartl. Ibis, 1859, p. 342 ; Heugl. Peterm. Mitth. 1861, p. 23 ; Beav. Ibis, 1865, p. 418 ; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 367 ; Finsch & Hartl. Orn. Ost-Afr. p. 327 (1870) ; Heugl. Orn. N.-O. Afr. p. 483. Lanius elegans, Swains. Faun. Bor.-Am. p. 122 (1831). |