THE MALLEE COUNTRY 91 



than three mounds of the Mallee-Fowl were dis- 

 covered, and one was at an interesting stage. The 

 birds had been at work, probably on the previous 

 day, and the cavity was half-filled with dead leaves 

 and twigs, mingled with sand; the ground in the 

 vicinity of the mound was strewn with nesting 

 material, and several trails were followed into the 

 surrounding scrub. But the Lowans never showed 

 a feather. Nor did we see one of the birds that day. 

 They were not far away, we knew, but that was a poor 

 consolation. 



Several nests of the White-winged Chough 

 [Corcorax melanorhamphus] , a common species in the 

 Mallee, were seen, saddled on horizontal boughs. 

 These curious nests, composed of reddish-coloured 

 mud, resemble large pudding basins. The feathered 

 masons are not particular about the appearance of 

 their work, aiming at strength rather than finish. 

 And certainly the nests are durable, weathering wind 

 and rain for years. Often enough, instead of build- 

 ing a new nest, mated birds repair an old one. The 

 battered walls are raised to the proper height with 

 layers of fresh mud. The lining consists of bark and 

 grass stems, occasionally fur, and a few feathers are 

 generally introduced. The eggs are beautiful ob- 

 jects, the shells resembling porcelain; their whitish 

 ground-colour is relieved by blotches of olive-brown 

 and slaty-blue. From five to eight eggs form a 

 clutch, seven being the average number. It has been 

 proved that more than one female Chough lays in a 

 single nest, a remarkable fact, but not without 

 parallel. 



Choughs are entertaining birds. They roam the 

 wilds in flocks, composed of six or more individuals. 

 "Black Magpie" is the Bush name for the Chough, and 

 it does bear some resemblance to a Crow-Shrike; but 

 it is an anomalous bird, lacking a near relation. The 

 Australian genus Corcorax, represented by a single 



