VO igo3 L J Littler, Notes on Some Birds Peculiar to Tasmania. 85 



very powerful and pleasing. Early on a summer's morning 

 nothing is more delightful than to hear a number of Magpies 

 pouring forth their melodious song while swaying on the topmost 

 twigs of some lofty tree. Morning and evening are the times 

 when most singing is done, but it is no uncommon thing to hear 

 the birds burst forth into song in the middle of some bright 

 moonlight night. After having successfully routed a Hawk is 

 another occasion for a paean of triumph. The wing power of 

 this species is very great ; it can dash through the air with a 

 marvellous rapidity. Long distances (comparatively speaking) 

 are traversed without perceptible movement of the outstretched 

 wings. 



Grey Butcher-Bird (Cracticus cinereus). — In this bird we have 

 another well-known species. Its distribution is fairly general 

 throughout the island, though in some districts it is more plenti- 

 ful than others. Properly speaking, our representative is merely 

 a sub-species of the mainland Butcher-Bird {Cracticus destructor), 

 the chief point of difference being its larger bill. There are no 

 striking differences in the plumage of the sexes. The following 

 may be taken as a rough description of the plumage : — The crown 

 of the head and the back of the neck are black ; the rest of 

 the upper surface brownish-grey ; the wings, except the basal 

 portions, are dark brown, the two middle secondaries broadly 

 margined with white ; the tail is dark brown, each feather, 

 with the exception of the two centre ones, tipped with white ; 

 the under surface is greyish-white ; bill and feet black. The nest 

 is a somewhat substantial structure, open and bowl-shaped. 

 Fine dead twigs are mostly employed in its construction, the 

 inside lining being of fine grass and rootlets. She-oaks and 

 honeysuckles seem to be the favourite nesting trees ; eucalypts 

 and clusters of loranthus are also chosen. The distance from 

 the ground at which the nest is placed varies greatly, sometimes 

 not being more than a dozen feet, and at others well up in the 

 forked branches of some lofty tree. A beautifully finished 

 specimen in my collection is constructed entirely of pliable 

 eucalypt twigs, and very neatly lined with fine yellow grass stems. 

 Its dimensions are : — Over all, 7 in. ; egg cavity, 5 in. ; depth 

 of same, 2+ in. The number of eggs in a clutch varies from three 

 to four. The latter number is deposited quite as frequently as 

 the former. I have found the shape to be very variable, some- 

 times the eggs being roundish-oval, and at others decidedly 

 lengthened. The texture of the shell is fine and the surface 

 lustrous. There is also much variety in the colouring they take, 

 some being greenish-grey ; the green is sometimes very pro- 

 nounced. Others are fawnish-brown. Some examples are spotted 

 and blotched all over with reddish and purplish-brown ; others 

 have a distinct belt round the apex of colouring matter, with 

 spots distributed irregularly over the rest of the surface. Others, 

 again, have the belt, but practically no markings elsewhere. 

 Dimensionsof odd examples : — (1) iLin.xfin., (2) i^-in.xiin., 



