MELLOR— Adelaide Rosella and Murray Ma'jpie. 89 



Several times during the month Goshawks ( Urospiza fasci- 

 Gta) were about near the fowls' yard, and were chased by large 

 flocks of European Starlings ; White-backed Magpies were also 

 -after them in that district. 



Adelaide Rosella and Nurray Hagpie. 



—By J. W. Mellor, Lockleys.— 



A somewhat strange incident came under my notice 

 recently which is worthy of note. I was perplexed several 

 times at hearing the ''kneedeep" call and other notes of the 

 Murray Magpie coming from the thick foliage of a lemon 

 scented pine near my back door. For the time being I was 

 nonplussed, never having seen these litle birds in this situa- 

 tion, although they are about in the more open trees such as 

 the red gums. So I determined to make a close observation to 

 clear the matter up, and upon carefully going near the place, 

 what was my surprise to find no other bird than an Adelaide 

 Rosella which was imitating the call notes of the Murray Mag- 

 pie so well and truly that it needed to be watched carefully 

 before one could believe their own eyes and ears. After 

 "keeping an eye" on this parrot for some days, I found that it 

 was '^keeping company" with a Murray Magpie, which it would 

 follow about from tree to tree in quite a general way, feeding 

 about on the seed foods and making both its own call and that 

 of its companion. There being very few Rosellas about, this 

 bird had evidently become lonely and wanted a mate, having 

 taken up with a bird of quite different habits, yet they seemed 

 "good company" nevertheless. 



