Dr. Fairbank writes:—­“This bird lives through the year on the Palanis and breeds there.  I found a nest with five eggs when there in 1867, but have not the notes then made about it.”

Captain Horace Terry informs us that this Shrike is a most common bird in the Palani hills, found everywhere and breeding freely.

Mr. H. Parker, writing from Ceylon, says:—­“A pair of these Shrikes reared three clutches of young in my compound (two of them out of one nest) from December to May, inclusive; but this must be abnormal breeding.”

Colonel Legge writes in his ’Birds of Ceylon’:—­“This bird breeds in the Jaffna district and on the north-west coast from February until May.  Mr. Holdsworth found its nest in a thorn-bush about 6 feet high, near the compound of his bungalow, in the beginning of February....  Layard speaks of the young being fledged in June at Point Pedro, and says that it builds in Euphorbia-trees in that district.”

The eggs of this species, sent me by Captain Hutton from the Doon and by numerous correspondents from the Nilghiris, are indistinguishable from many types of L. erythronotus, and indeed the birds are so closely allied that this was only to be expected.  It is unnecessary to describe these at length, as my description of the eggs of L. erythronotus applies equally to these.

In size the eggs, however, vary less and average longer than those of this latter species.  In length they range from 0.93 to 1 inch, and in breadth from 0.7 to 0.72 inch, but the average of twenty was 0.95 by 0.7 inch.

477.  Lanius tephronotus (Vigors). The Grey-backed Shrike.

Lanius tephronotus (Vig.), Jerd.  B. Ind. i, p. 403. 
Collyrio tephronotus, Vigors, Hume, Rough Draft N. & E. no. 258.

As far as I yet know, the Grey-backed Shrike breeds, within our limits, only in the Himalayas, and chiefly in the interior, at heights of from 5000 to 8000 feet above the sea-level.  In the interior of Sikhim, in the Sutlej Valley near Chini, in Lahoul, and well up the valley of the Beas, they are pretty common during the summer; they lay from May to July, and the young are about by the end of July or the early part of August.  I have never seen a nest, although I have had eggs and birds sent me from both Sikhim and the Sutlej Valley.  There were only two eggs in each case, but doubtless, like other Shrikes, they lay from four to six.

Mr. Blanford remarks that L. tephronotus was “common at Lachung, in Sikhim, 8000 to 9000 feet, in the beginning of September, but three weeks later all had disappeared.  Many of those seen were in young plumage, with hair on the breast, back, and scapulars.”

Colonel C.H.T.  Marshall records from Murree:—­“This species much resembles L. erythronotus, but the eggs differ considerably, being more creamy white, blotched and spotted (more particularly at the larger end) with pale red and grey.  They are the same size as those of the preceding species.  Lays in the beginning of July at the same elevation as L. erythronotus.”