148 



AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 



F. 132. PRIONOPIDAE (11), WOOD-SHRIKES, 95 sp.— 

 55(55)A., 15(15)0., 25(25)E. 



1 314 Magpie-Lark, Murray (Little) Magpie (e), Mudlark 



2 (e), Soldiers, Peewee (e), Peewit (e), Pugwall, 

 Grallina picata, A., T. (ace). 



Stat. v.c. (near water) open, timber 10.5 

 Black and white; slender stilt-like legs ; throat white (f.), 

 black (m.); mud nest. Insects, pond-snails. "Pee-wee." 



flight is "unlike that of any bird known to me." (Gould.) "It 

 flies in a straight line, with a heavy, flapping motion of the 

 wings." Its loud call is responsible for the name of Pee-wee, 

 a common name for a European Plover; its black and white color- 

 ing for the vernacular name — Magpie-Lark. 



This bird is of great value, as it consumes large quantities of 

 pond snails, the necessary host of the early stages of the liver 

 fluke. Exterminate the pond snails, and immediately the liver 

 fluke is completely destroyed, and all future loss from its ravages 

 is saved to the pastoralists. In 1846, fluke caused a loss of 

 £10,000,000 in England alone, so it is a serious pest, and may yet 

 prove a very expensive one to Australia. 



This bird's scientific position is disputed. It has been classed 

 with Crows and with Thrushes. Gould placed it by itself. Dr. 

 Sharpe has, however, placed it in the family Prionopidae. Its 

 vocal organs are anomalous, and it may be that its position is not 

 finally settled yet. 



