82 Bathy, Magpies or Cvoiv-Shrikes. [,sf"oct. 



section of Riverina known as the Old Man Plain, extending from 

 Wanganella, on the Billabong, to Hay, on the Murrumbidgee. 

 During five years' residence on the late Mr. G. Fairbairn's 

 Eli Elwah, a station embracing an area of 166,000 acres, at the 

 very outside a dozen Magpies were noted, and I think they 

 belonged to the White-backed tribe. Besides, I made excur- 

 sions into the surrounding districts with stock, and a 50-mile 

 trip down river from Hay, and once some miles over the 

 Murrumbidgee towards Booligal. In all these travels Magpies 

 can be written down as conspicuous by their absence. 



With regard to our singing Magpies, to careless observers 

 they are merely birds ; but if we study their habits, whether in 

 captivity or their wild state, we will discover that in some ways 

 they resemble human beings. Towards each other they display 

 superciliousness. I had once a splendid chance to note the 

 vagaries of five Magpies. These seemingly spent the greater 

 part of their time on an open grassy slope running up from 

 our ancient homestead. This party was split into two coteries 

 — one a male with a female, the other a male with two females. 

 As a rule Magpies towards each other are very friendly, but 

 between these two sets there was an exclusiveness v/hich, 

 to speak figuratively, was unbridgeable. Although carefully 

 watched, never at any time did they mix together. True, they 

 might approach to within 20 or 30 yards of each other, but 

 even then the line of demarcation was strictly observed, save 

 that at times they did cross it to indulge in a brief skirmish. 

 In feeding they were never a gunshot apart, and strutted about 

 with an air of insolent hauteur. They carried their wings 

 slightly drooped, the style in which they walked was expressive 

 of scorn, and besides that action they appeared to talk insult- 

 ingly. Occasionally one man, to "take down" another, or arouse 

 his ire, will talk at him, and these birds apparently did the very 

 same thing. It was highly amusing to watch them exhibiting 

 undisguised contempt towards each other. I had them under 

 my eye for months. The weaker faction nested, bringing a 

 brace of fine youngsters, who in process of time fed around with 

 their parents. The old gentleman with his two ladies, as far 

 as known, made no attempt to construct a nest. For the matter 

 of that, my experience shows that only a small percentage 

 breed during the season. My opinion is that is a provision of 

 nature to prevent them overlapping their food supply. The 

 advent of the pair of youngsters caused no change with the five 

 old birds — perhaps matters became worse. There was the same 

 superciliousness, the insulting chatter, and the same little fights. 

 One day the youngsters temporarily chummed in with their 

 parents' rivals — a proceeding that did not apparently provoke 

 discord. 



To my thinking, if we wish to thoroughly understand a 



