246 stray Feathers. UflU 



good photograph of the clutch in the nest. I see by my notes 

 that in November, 1906, a friend and myself discovered a 

 Wattle-Bird's nest containing three young birds just ready to 

 leave the nest. — L. C. CoOK. Poowong, Gippsland, 24/12/09. 



A Novel Experiment. — A neighbour of mine made an 

 interesting experiment in bird-rearing recently. Finding in the 

 bush one day two Stone-Plover's {Burhinus grallavius) eggs, she 

 took them home and placed them with some eggs under a 

 domestic hen. One of the Stone-Plover's eggs, unfortunately, 

 got broken, but the other hatched out. Being unable to follow 

 its foster-mother about, the Plover chick was kept inside during 

 the day, and returned to the hen again at night. For a few 

 days the little " Curlew " flourished, but then one morning a 

 White-backed Magpie (Gyvinorhhia leiiconota) was seen flying 

 away with it. The Magpie was shot later on. — A. G. Chis- 

 HOLM. Maryborough, 3/2/10. 



* * * 



Remarks on Eopsaltria jacksoni, Le Souef. — Mr. A. J. 

 Campbell has sent me a specimen of Mr. Le Souefs new 

 Eopsaltria from the Herberton Range {Emu, 1909, pp. 70, 71, 

 pi. iii.) I have taken the specimens in my collection and Mr. 

 Campbell's bird to compare with the series in the British 

 Museum (which has the type of E. chrysorrhoa and also a skin of 

 E. magnirostris). My opinion is that Eopsaltria jacksoni is not 

 distinguishable from P. magnirostris, which, in turn, is not to be 

 separated from E. chrysorrhoa. I think there is no question 

 about E. jacksoni being merged as a synonym of E. chrysorrhoa, 

 as in the series examined there are no characters for specific 

 separation to be discovered. — Gregory M. Mathews. Wat- 

 ford, Herts., England. 



The Magpie Defamed. — I regret that in this district the 

 Magpie (Gymnorhina leuconota) does not bear nearly as good a 

 name as it did formerly. At a recent " evening with the birds," 

 before a mixed audience of farmers and orchardists, the farmers 

 found fault with it for pulling up sprouting wheat, and one 

 orchardist proclaimed the bird as an occasional fruit-eater. But 

 the greatest objection to " Maggie " is its pugnacity during the 

 nesting season, many birds having been shot for attacking and 

 terrifying children. The reply to this objection is that the 

 Magpie has learnt by bitter experience of the danger from 

 marauding boys, and the birds can hardly be expected to 

 discriminate.* — A. H. Chisholm. Maryborough, 3/2/10. 



* It is more probable that the birds have become accustomed to human beings — 

 wild Magpies are always shy. — Eds. 



