84 Batev, Magpies or Crow-Shrikes. [i.f o"ct. 



fifty. In coming onward I have seen a joker catch up to one in 

 front and give his tail a sly pull. On summer mornings when 

 there was every indication of the day proving a scorcher 

 numbers would remain under the shade, where some (youngish 

 birds, I fancy) played hide and seek round trees and stumps. 

 Of course, there was singing, but when the day began to cool 

 down this lot went off to feed. With regard to coming in to 

 roost, some came pretty early, others when dusk was well 

 set in. Before the property was let on lease our charming 

 timbered valley night and morning resounded with Magpie 

 music. Subsequently an evil time set in for our carefully 

 protected feathered friends, of which we were honestly proud, 

 seeing that their presence in such large numbers gave an ex- 

 quisite charm to the place. The bad state of things was brought 

 about by the establishment of Industrial Schools on the erst- 

 while Sheoak Hill, near Sunbury. The impish boys quartered 

 at the Institution took to snaring, thus it consequently followed 

 that what shall be termed our stock of Magpies became greatly 

 reduced in numbers. When the schools were abolished things 

 became worse, because, under tenants, all wanton bird- 

 murderers, had free license to do just as they liked. A good 

 part of that time I was resident at Woodend. On one occasion, 

 when visiting the old place, heaps of dead Magpies were seen 

 lying about, shot from off their perches at night. There is a 

 patch of gravelly ground in the district, always bare of herbage. 

 From what has been noted this spot was used at times for social 

 gatherings. One evening not long ago a goodly muster of 

 Magpies was seen on it, singing merrily. This performance 

 would be best described as a crowd of people talking all at 

 once, with the reservation that every voice would require to be 

 thoroughly musical. This mixed concert of theirs was delight- 

 ful, yet, like everything vocal, it had to be heard to be thoroughly 

 appreciated. 



At this stage the question must be put — Are Magpies in- 

 jurious birds ? As far as my observation has gone, they are not, 

 except odd years when their natural food supply runs short 

 through an insufficient rainfall, in which case they will pull up 

 sprouting corn. I imagine that the damage is not serious, still 

 in certain localities I will concede that in that respect they may 

 be a pest. Cultivators of the soil are apt to magnify the injuries 

 Magpies may inflict on fruit and growing crops, likely for 

 the reason that the law protects them. I have championed 

 these birds in print only to get contradicted, but when one in- 

 dividual stated that neither gun nor stockwhip would drive the 

 depredators off a field of germinating grain, my opinion was 

 that the writer was drawing the long bow. Another person 

 asserted that they danced on the branches of the trees in his 

 orchard, thereby shaking off the fruit. , Some years back there 



