208 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 



dimensions 15 cm. (6 inches) across by about 6^ cm. {\L}j inches) 

 deep. 



September, October and November constitute the chief 

 breeding months. 



G. iiyperkuca, Gould (The Lesser White-backed Magpie). 



Fourthly and lastly, the Tasmanian Magpie is an insular form 

 of the White-backed Magpie of the continent. Considering that 

 the Tasmanian forms of the same species of the mainland birds are 

 usually larger, it is worthy of remark that the Tasmanian Magpie 

 is smaller — an additional fact, perhaps tending to prove it is a 

 good species and not merely a smaller race of G. leucoiiflta. 

 Likewise, it is a curious fact that, although some of the birds 

 peculiar to Tasmania — including a Strepera closely allied to 

 Gymnorhitia — are met with on the larger internaediate islands in 

 Bass Straits the Magpie is altogether absent. 



Tasmania was the first colony that extended protection to 

 Magpies, as birds of usefulness, consequently, through not been 

 molested, one finds them exceedingly tame, even sometimes 

 building their nests in trees l)y the wayside of thoroughfares 

 and streets. I was greatly entertained one day by a Magpie, 

 perched upon a three-railed fence, piping its merry song to a 

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



The Tasmanian jNIagpie usually lays three or four eggs, but I have 

 heard of sets of five as with the mainland species. The breeding 

 season is from August to the entl of the year. Mr. Arthur E. 

 Brent, from his own observation, infoi-ms me, that these birds are 

 not at all particular what they use as constructing material for a 

 home. One nest he saw was Iniilt of the wire which bound 

 sheaves of grain, and which was thrown in a heap after threshing. 

 ]\Ir. Brent also observed another nest which was constructed 

 of reaper and binder twine. This nest was Hned with horse 

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

 usually reseml^ling tiiose of the other Magpies. Underneath and 

 adj(jiniiig a nest of this Magpie I, on one occasion, found the 

 smaller nest of the Yellow-tailed Tit ( Geobasileus ). The fact, 

 however, is not new, for collectors on the mainland have not 

 unfreijuently met with similar instances. 



