OF VICTORIA. 



the adult females of two families trying to drive away the 

 young females by repeated attacks of sometimes thirty 

 minutes' duration. The old bird would pin the young one 

 to the ground, but it seemed to have no other effect than 

 to make the young one afraid of its mother. The male 

 parent stands by, looking on, and takes no active physical 

 part in the contest. In both cases the youngsters stood 

 the ill-treatment till the duty of nest-building compelled 

 the dame to leave them in possession. After the young of 

 the new brood are hatched out it is amusing to see the 

 dejected attitude of the oldest daughter (unmarried) when 

 the mother happens to approach it in quest of food for the 

 new brood. In May or June following it disappears, and 

 probably begins housekeeping on its own account. Just 

 at this time a new patch of forest has been opened up, and, 

 if only of a few acres, a pair of magpies will find their way 

 into it. But all is not complete yet, as someone has shot 

 the male because it thrashed his domestic fowls. The 

 female cleared out at once, and returned in a few days 

 with four males, the strongest and best fighter eventually 

 becoming her mate." It is interesting to direct a field- 

 glass on a parent bird with a nest of young. You can see 

 it fill the mouth with insects almost to bill-overflowing, 

 then fly into the nest and equally distribute the collection 

 to the young. I think young magpies must be trained to 

 catch snakes, and that it is not an intuition with them. 

 Proof to this effect is not strong, but a bird I know in 

 domestication almost went into hysterics one day when an 

 unassuming lady visitor came in with a boa dangling from 

 her neck. The bird got a terrific fright, screeched, and hid 

 itself for nearly three hours. 



My friend, Mr. W. J. Stephen, lias a female bird, taken 

 from a nest four years ago, which is a splendid talker. In 



