176 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



that berries and fruits would be equally acceptable I have but 

 little doubt. 



Cleared lands, open flats, and plains skirted by belts of 

 trees are its favourite localities ; hence the interior of the 

 country is more fawurable to its habits than the neighbour- 

 hood of the coast. 



The breeding-season commences in August and lasts until 

 January, during which period two broods are generally reared 

 by each pair of birds. The nest is roimd, deep, and open, 

 composed outwardly of sticks, leaves, wool, &c., and lined 

 with any finer materials that may be at hand. The eggs are 

 either three or four in number ; their colour and size I regret 

 to say I cannot give, having unfortunately neglected to pro- 

 cure them while in New South Wales. 



Crown of the head, cheeks, throat, back, all the under sur- 

 face, scapularies, secondaries, primaries, and tips of the tail- 

 feathers black ; wing-coverts, nape of the neck, upper and 

 under tail-coverts, and base of the tail-feathers white ; bill 

 bluish ash-colour at the base, passing into black at the tip ; 

 irides rich reddish hazel ; legs black. 



Sp. 93. GYMNORHINA LEUCONOTA, Gould. 



White BACKED Crow-Shrtke. 



Barita Tibicen, Quoy et Gaiin. Voy. de la Coq., pi. 20. 



Goore-bat, Aborigines of the lowland districts of Western Australia. 



Gymnorhina leuconota, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. ii. pi. 47. 



This fine species of Gymnorhina, which has been confounded 

 by the French writers with the Coracias Tibicen of Latham, 

 inhabits South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. It 

 is said to be tolerably abundant at Port Phillip, and that it is 

 sometimes seen on the plains near Yass. For my own part I 

 have never met with it in New South Wales, but observed it 

 to be rather abundant in South Australia. In the extreme 



