32 ORGANIC LIFE ON THE RIVERINE PLAINS 



same charge against them as is made against the raven in 

 Europe — that they destroy young lambs. They certainly 

 do peck out the eyes of many newly-born animals, lambs 

 in particular, and the field-hands such as shepherds, stock- 

 riders, and the swagsmen (or tramps) have an inveterate 

 hatred of them, as they say they hover over sick and dying 

 men in the bush, and begin tearing their flesh as soon as 

 they perceive they are helpless, and long before they are 

 dead. Carrion forms the bulk of their food, but they also 

 eat young birds, rats, and grubs and insects of all sorts, and 

 any odds and ends they find lying about the stock-yards 

 and houses. For they are the boldest of birds, fear man 

 but little, and will enter open doors and windows without 

 hesitation. The same may be said of the magpies, as the 

 colonists call the piping-crows, which are nearly as 

 abundant on the Riverine plains as are their carrion 

 brethren, but from which they differ much in habits. 



There are two species of piping-crows in the Riverine 

 district, the black-backed {Gymnorhina tibica) and the 

 white-backed (G. leuconotd). As may be guessed from 

 their names, these two birds differ from each other but 

 little. They both have pied plumage, and here, in the 

 Riverine, the black-backed is the species most numerous 

 in individuals. Further south, in Victoria, the white- 

 backed predominates. They are harmless birds, and are 

 great favourites with the colonists. There are but few 

 homes, humble or great, that have not a piping-crow for a 

 pet, and they may frequently be seen hopping about the 

 stock-yards and enclosed paddocks in a state of semi- 

 liberty. They become much attached to persons who are 

 kind to them, and though they never learn to speak more 

 than a word or two, they often imitate the barking of dogs, 

 squalling of cats, and similar domestic sounds, while they 

 whistle and scream like parrots, and utter their own pretty 

 song. 



On the plains they appear in small flocks, which are 

 numerous, but never exceed twenty individuals and are 

 oftener less than a dozen in number. They will permit a 

 man to approach them pretty closely, and on being alarmed 



