2g6 AEsrs AXD LOGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Strepeni closelj' allied to Gymnnrhina — are met with on the larger inter- 

 mediate islands in Bass Strait, the Magpie is altogether absent. 



Tasmania was the fii'st State that extended protection to Magpies as 

 birds of usefulness, consequently, through not being molested, one finds 

 them exceedingly tame, even sometimes building their nests in trees by 

 the wayside of thoroughfares and streets. I was greatly entertained one 

 day by a Magpie, j)erched upon a three-railed fence, piping its meny song 

 to a railway train which whizzed past within a few paces of the bird. 

 The Tasmanian Magpie usually lays three or foui' eggs, but I have 

 lieard of sets of five, as with the mainland species. The breeding season 

 is from August to the end of the year. Mr. Aithui' E. Brent, from his 

 own observation, informs me that these birds are not at all particular 

 what they use as constructing material for a home. One nest he saw 

 was built of wire for binding sheaves of grain, which was thrown 

 in a heap after threshing. Mr. Brent also observed another nest which 

 was constnicted of reaper and binder twine. Tliis nest was lined with 

 horse manure. But of course these are merely exceptions, the nest 

 usually resembling those of the other Magpies. Mr. Brent adds that 

 the Magpie is useful as a vermin destroyer, because he has seen them 

 killing mice in numbers. Underneath and adjoining a nest of this 

 Magpie I, on one occasion, found the smaller nest of the Yellow-tailed 

 Tit ( Acantliiza ). The fact, however, is not new, for collectors on ihe 

 mainland have not uufrequently met with similar instances. 



240. — Gymnorhina dorsalis, Campbell. 

 LONG-BILLED MAGPIE. 



ifc/ccoice. -Campbell : Proc Roy. Soc Victoria, vol vii , new ser., 



p. zog (1S94). 

 Previous Descriptions oj Eggs. — Campbell; Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 



new ser., vol. iii., p. 2 (i8go) ; also vol. vii , p 213 (1894.) 



Geoff raphiraJ Distributiun. — West and North-west Australia. 



Nest. — Open, bowl-shaped, constructed of sticks and twigs, lined 

 inside first with bark, then with a ply of finer bark about one inch in 

 thickness and usually situated in the forked branches of a tree. 

 Dimensions over all, about 11 to 12 inches; egg cavity, 6 inches across 

 by 2i inches deep. 



Ei/ffs. — Clutch, three to four, usually three. The West AustraUan 

 eggs exhibit less variety of colouring and more resemble tlie ''a" type 

 in both those of G. fihireii and G. IcnrniKita. The form is lengthened 

 or oval ; ground colour varying from bluish-grey to greenish-grey in 

 tone, beautifully streaked or marbled all over with rich pinkish-bi'own 



