THE MAGPIE LARK 159 



CHAPTER XCV. 



THE MAGPIE LARK 

 {Grallina picata, Latham. ) 



This bird, commonly known as the Mud-lark, Pewit, 

 and Pied Grallina, is a general favorite with the rural 

 public especially, it being a great destroyer of all kinds 

 of insects. Its well-known note " pee- wee, " is as well 

 known in the vicinity of rivers, creeks, water-holes or 

 swamps, as it is in the parched up plains of the lower 

 Murray country, or in the back blocks of Queensland; 

 and in trees overhanging the water it frequently builds 

 its singular mud nests (see plate), and rears its young. 

 It also builds in pines and other trees, in the Botanic 

 Gardens and reserves of Melbourne; and, as the nest is 

 usually placed on or near the end of a branch, it is thus, 

 in most instances, out of reach of the average boy. 



The nest is composed of small pieces of mud, sand, and 

 clay, mixed with pieces of dry grass, etc., and generally 

 measures about five or six inches in breadth, and from 

 three to four in depth. The eggs, the usual clutch of 

 which consist of four, vary greatly. The usual 

 color is pinkish -white, with brownish spots, often forming 

 a distinct zone at the larger end. In some instances the 

 ground color is light reddish, with a zone of dark reddish 

 spots, also in the larger end. 



On the Murray River at Benjeroop, near Kerang, I 

 have seen old nests of the Magpie Lark used by the 

 White-rumped Wood-swallow {Artamus leucopygialis) , 

 and, according to Mr. A. J. Campbell, the little Cuckoo- 

 shrike (Grauculus mentalis) also constructs its nest 

 within the nest of the Magpie Lark. 



The following is Gould's description of the Magpie 

 Lark : u The sexes are very similar in size, but the 

 female may, at all times, be distinguished from the male 



