Vol. III. 

 1903 



LITTLER, Notes on Some Birds Peculiar to Tasmania. 



fullest, pouring forth his joyous and melodious song to his mate, 

 who is busy hunting for grubs on the ground close by ? How 

 bright and intelligent his hazel eyes are, full of worldly wisdom 

 and cunning ! To the casual observer the most conspicuous 

 difference in the plumage of the female is that the under surface 

 is more of a grey than a black, and the upper surface is very dingy 

 compared with that of the male. The nest is open and bowl- 

 shaped ; sticks, twigs, and strips of eucalypt bark constitute the 

 main items in its composition ; the inside lining consists princi- 

 pally of grass and shredded bark. The situation usually chosen 

 is in the forked branches of a eucalypt, generally some distance 

 from the ground. Although the same nest is not occupied during 

 successive years, the same tree is resorted to season after season. 

 Furthermore, a keen observer has given me his opinion that, 

 should one of a pair nesting in a tree to which they had become 

 attached be killed between nesting seasons, the survivor brings 

 along a new mate to the old nesting tree. In exposed positions 

 it is not often that such a frail nest as this Magpie's really is 

 holds together from one season to another. All Magpies do not 

 build their homes of such prosaic materials as twigs and bark. 

 In well-tilled districts wood becomes very scarce, only isolated 

 giant gums being left here and there. In one such place Magpies 

 were in a quandary, not enough suitable material being easily 

 available for house building, and the problem was solved thus : — 

 The first reapers and binders introduced into Tasmania were 

 those binding with wire. When the stacks were threshed the 

 wire on each sheaf was cut and thrown in a heap. With this 

 unpromising material some of the Magpies, in the Longford dis- 

 trict more particularly, built their nests. String binders super- 

 seded wire, and the Magpies that used wire had to go back to 

 the traditions of their forefathers and employ sticks. 



Three, and sometimes four, eggs are laid. In shape they are 

 oval ; the ground colour is greenish, spotted and blotched over 

 with umber. Dimensions are about i-| in. by 1 in. 



To Tasmania belongs the privilege of being the first State to 

 recognize the Magpie as being of economic value, and to extend 

 protection to it. In 1879, under the Game Protection Act, 42 

 Vict., No. 24, it was decreed that whosoever killed the birds or 

 destroyed their eggs would be liable to a penalty not exceeding 

 £1. In 1885 this Act was extended, under 48 Vict., No. 35, so 

 that persons could not buy, sell, or offer for sale birds of this 

 species. Notwithstanding this, large numbers of young birds 

 are taken annually from their nests, and sold in the towns. Some 

 time since, while on a visit to a district in the northern part of 

 the island, I was struck by the total absence of the Magpie. On 

 asking if there was any known reason for it, I was informed that 

 the farmers had destroyed them all, as they considered that the 

 birds pulled up the wheat when in the " milk." It was another 

 instance of too hasty conclusions being arrived at through faulty 

 observation. The birds were merely searching among the 



