The GyuDwrhincv or Australian Magpie. 207 



But to my surprise, on dissecting birds in the bush and observing 

 others in captivity, I found that the mature male bird possessed 

 a white back, while the female's was blacky besides other minor 

 differences, all pointing to a species distinct from either of the 

 eastern forms. For the new variety I would suggest the specific 

 name dorsalis, on account of the differential markings of the 

 backs, and to Vie known on the vernacular list as the Long-liilled 

 Magpie, on account of its longer and narrower bill. Perhaps I 

 should say here that during a recent visit of Colonel Legge to 

 Melbourne, I took the opportunity of bringing under his notice 

 examples of the two eastern Ijirds, together with the western 

 forms, and aftei" examination, and without any hesitancy, he 

 concurred in my deductions. 



With regard to the range of the western bird I take it to be 

 fairly distributed as far as South-western Australia is concerned, 

 excepting the heavily forested Karri country between King 

 George's tSound and Cape Leeuwin, whei^e I did not observe a 

 single bird. After getting out of the Karri country T noticed 

 the bird in the neighbourhood of Geographe Bay in the more 

 open Jarrah tracts, and along the coast northward. It is said 

 to be found generally throughout the Jam-wood (a species of 

 Acacia) country. I noted it as far south as Cranbrook, on the 

 overland railway, sixty-seven miles from Albany. A few, I am 

 informed, occur on the Upper Murchison and Gascoyne districts^ 

 and as far noi'th as the Hammersley Range plateau. 



At Geraldton, Champion Bay, I had an opportunity of exam- 

 ining a very tine female bird in a state of domestication. By 

 the way, she rejoiced in the name of '"Jacob." She was an 

 intensely amusing bird and full of mischievous glee. I should 

 have mentioned that, although the native notes of the western 

 Magpie resemble those of its eastern congeners, the western 

 type seems to lack that hilarity of song so noticeable in both the 

 eastern birds. 



The nest, together with a set of eggs of the western species, has 

 already been described by me in the "Proceedings" of this Society, 

 1890, but for the sake of comparison I may repeat, the nest was 

 constructed outwardly of sticks and twigs, lined inside with bark, 

 which succeeded a ply about '2h cm. (1 inch) in thickness of finer 

 bark. Measurements across all about 30 cm. (11| inches) inside 



