DESCRIPTIONS OF OUR NATIVE BIRDS. 17 



MAGPIE LARK, MURRAY MAGPIE, PIED GRALLINA, 

 MUDLARK, or PEE-WEE. 



(Grallina australis)— ^/ow/fi'^ Hand Book. 



(Grallina ^ico^to)— -Mathews' Hand Li.'^i. 



81ZE. — About the size of a dove ; a f iiU-growii bird measures about lOiu. in length. 



Bill. — Its bill is light grey, tipped with black. 



Feet and Legs. — The legs are colored dark grey to Ijlack. 



Plumage. — The general appearance of the bird is black and white, hence the 

 name " fied mudlark." The top and back of the head are black. The 

 back is black, tinged with bronze green, similar to the greenish tint seen 

 on the feathers of black fowls. The tail feathers are black with white tips. 

 The breast is white. The female has a white face, but the male has a black 

 one. The wing has five feathers tipped with white, making a white 

 bar across it. This bird is a very quick ruinier, but has rather a heavy 

 flight. 



Habitat. — The mudlark is generally found hunting along the muddy bed of a 

 river or creek. It finds most of its food living on the mud banks of 

 lagoons, marshes, and streams. After a heavy rain, they will hunt for 

 insect life in the fields that border streams. 



Food. — Insect life. It also eats pond snails, in which liver-fluke develop. On 

 this account it is a most valuable bird. 



Nest. — The nest is built of mud, and often reinforced with straw and grass and 

 lined with feathers. It is about 6in. wide, and half as deep. Usually 

 it is placed upon a horizontal limb. 



Eggs. — The full clutch of eggs numbers four. They are pinkish white, and generally 

 spotted wdth light-brown, and bluish-grey markings that appear below 

 the surface. The eggs measure about l:^in. x fin. The magpie lark nests 

 during the months of September, October, and November. 



xYo^c— They have a shrill, peevish cry of two syllables wliich sound like " pce-wee." 



