Vol. IX. 



1909 



] Hall, Notes on the Magpie (Gymnorhina teuconota). IQ 



constant to its type, there is a strong tendency to oust from the 

 flocks any young showing signs of reversion. While in certain 

 areas the attempt to keep the purity of stock is partly successful, 

 in others it is a hopeless task in the present generations — those 

 on the borderland. With the agriculture of our future certain 

 physical changes will occur to alter the local congregations of 

 varying Magpies. 



Observation i.* — On ist August the female commenced enlarg- 

 ing the bowl of the old nest, and afterwards relined it with bark, 

 which she had torn into fine shreds. The first Qgg was laid on 

 1 6th August, the second on the 17th, the third on the i8th. 

 Each Qgg was laid between 12 noon and i o'clock p.m. The 

 first young bird was hatched on 7th September, the second 

 on the 8th, the third on the 9th. I think it is remarkable 

 that each young bird should have hatched out at midday. 

 The head and back of the young birds are sparsely covered with 

 long, tawny down. By 14th September the young birds' skins 

 had changed from pinkish to all black. The quills had sprouted 

 along the ridge of the back and on the wings of the oldest of 

 the young birds. On i6th September the quills appeared on 

 the head and rump, while the first quills commenced to grow 

 feathers. The colour of the bill was a dull brown-grey pink. 

 On i8th September the oldest of the young birds opened its 

 eyes, the sandy-coloured feathers formed above eyes and wings, 

 with black feathers on the back, crown, throat, and breast. 

 On 19th September the second youngest bird opened its eyes, 

 and on 20th September the youngest. The two oldest of 

 the young birds were now growing fast, but the youngest 

 seemed to miss the food, and its development was very slow 

 when compared with that of the others. On 21st September 

 the third or youngest bird disappeared from the nest, the 

 probability being that it either died of starvation or was pushed 

 out by its stronger companions. On 22nd September the head, 

 neck, and back were brownish-buff, the back being darker than 

 the neck. The oldest bird had an orange-rufous band half an 

 inch wide dividing the black of the crown and the buff of the 

 neck. The second young bird had an orange band with much 

 fainter colour. On 23rd September the tail quills were half an 

 inch long, with budding feathers. The bill was darkening 

 towards black. The primary was black, secondary white, 

 tipped with black ; greater wing coverts buff On 25th 

 September the back was rufous-brown, with "slight streaks of 

 black. The orange-rufous band had disappeared. On 27th 

 September the back was growing darker rufous-brown. On 30th 

 September the bill was slaty-black. From that day it was 

 rather dangerous to make close observations, because of a likeli- 

 hood of frightening the young birds out of the nest before the 



*The backs of the birds of Observations i and 2 were wholly while. — R. H. 



