THE MAGPIE LARK 161 



With regard to the courage displayed by these plucky 

 little birds, it may be mentioned that, as a rule, but 

 very few other birds care to attack them ; and the ever- 

 pugnacious magpie (Crow-shrike) does not care to 

 interfere with it, even although the Mud-lark is mostly 

 the aggressor, it being quite a common sight to see 

 these little birds chasing a magpie. In Queensland, 

 however, I once saw the tables turned, and the magpie 

 appeared as if determined to be revenged, it following 

 the smaller bird for fully a quarter of an hour, but, I 

 am glad to say, without success. The Mud-lark is 

 afraid of very few birds ; and, although it will chase the 

 little Kestrel Hawk, I have seen them hide when a 

 Sparrow-hawk was flitting about ; but the Brown Hawk, 

 and, in fact, several other kinds of hawks appear to 

 have some terror of them. 



Farmers and graziers especially are very fond of these 

 birds, which may be seen flying about, and on the backs 

 of cows and horses, especially the former. The Mud-lark 

 is widely distributed throughout Victoria, and is found 

 in South Australia, Qiieensland, New South Wales, and 

 in Central, Western, and North-western Australia, as 

 well as in Tasmania. 



