THE SHRIKES. 41 



taught is a splendid mimic and talker. Being naturally 

 a whistler, it readily learns tunes ; and when it speaks, 

 its pronunciation is very clear. Moreover, a Piping- 

 Crow is a free talker when it knows anything, which, 

 as everybody has experienced, is by no means the usual 

 thing with talking birds. The bird is easy to keep, as, 

 like a true Crow, it will eat anything ; it has the Shrike's 

 habit of holding a large morsel in one foot to tear it. A 

 portion of its food should always consist of small animals 

 or tender raw meat ; mice, sparrows or the necks of fowls 

 will be suitable. It is obvious that such a bird is not a 

 suitable tenant for any ordinary aviary, as it is not a 

 safe companion for any bird weaker than itself. On the 

 other hand, it is too big and too dirty for a cage. The 

 best plan, therefore, is either to give the bird a little 

 aviary to itself in the compound, about six feet square ; 

 or, after it has got used to its cage or to a little roosting- 

 house which could be made for it, to clip the flight-fea- 

 thers of one wing and let it roam about by day, shutting 

 it in safely at night. 



In this way the bird will be an ornament to the 

 garden, and useful in destroying insect pests, while 

 it is likely to keep in better health when allowed this 

 modified liberty. The Piping-Crow is very popular 

 in Australia both wild and as a pet, and a good many 

 are exported. I have said so much about it because it 

 is one of the best of all pet birds, and practically cer- 

 tain to please anyone who tries it, even an old untrain- 

 ed bird being, as I said above, a very nice pet. Al- 

 though rather expensive to buy costing at least ten 



