^°'l.]$^"- FLETCHER, Tlic Black BcU-Ma,ipk. 61 



October, 1921, may remember a few notes of mine, dealing with 

 winter conditions of these birds which fretiuent The Stepi)es. 



A flock of nearly eighty Strcpcras stay round the homestead 

 from April until about early September, separating in the latter 

 month to take up the control of their breeding areas. Unlike the 

 White-backed Magpie (Gyniuwrhma hypolcuca), these areas are 

 closer together, in fact, overlap. Evidently, sterner conditions 

 of livelihood make the birds more tolerant of one another. An- 

 other aspect may be that the near neighbourhood of (jne breeding 

 pair with a second tends for better protection against the many 

 species of Hawk frequenting these uplands. 



From the observations of my friends, I know that the same 

 pair remain faithful to each other, year after year. 



The site for the nest, as a rule, varies each season, but always 

 in their chosen haunts. Some of the nests must be well con- 

 structed, for I was shown those of several years previous, in 

 which young had been reared, and which still might be taken 

 for this just finished season's nest. 



Each bird assists in the construction of the nest, which is 

 commenced about the beginning of October, sometimes in Sep- 

 tember, much depending on the duration of winter conditions. 



Occasionally an old nest is trimmed up and made to do duty 

 a second time. The old pair of Black Mags, that have for 7 

 or 8 years frequented the house, had their young hatched by 

 the beginning of November, bringing them to house surround- 

 ings by the first week of December. Here the little ones stayed 

 midst the shelter of the trees whilst their parents fossicked about 

 for their food, which included pieces of meat, cake or bread 

 crumbs, the latter preferred with jam or sugar upon it. 



When the young Mags, grew bigger they flew to meet their 

 parents as soon as they heard the long flute-like whistle. Each 

 parent seemed to feed one particular child, and it was interest- 

 ing to watch which fledgling would become excited after an old 

 bird's signal. 



The Black Mags, are so destructive on chickens that these 

 must be kept in the barn until their feathers grow, after which 

 they are generally left alone. My friends have given up trying 

 to keep turkeys or ducks, it being impossible to rear any duck- 

 lings owing to the fondness of these birds for a duckling diet. 



One morning during my visit, the hens escaped from the barn. 

 In less than fifteen minutes the old Mags, had caught three chic- 

 kens, one of the chicks being well feathered. They would have 

 probably taken the lot if not noticed. 



An hour later, my sister and I were down in one of the pad- 

 docks when I noticed the two young Mags, sitting in a tree, with 

 the mother and father flying from difi^erent directions and feed- 

 ing them. 



I watched the latter and saw^ him go to a log, look about, then 

 run its length, hop off the end, and stepping backwards, tug, 

 tug. Next, he flew back to his child, carrying something which 



