280 ZOOLOGiCAL GARDENS. 



The present species is about the size of our Common 

 Crow, and has much the same general proportions. 

 The neck behind, and a widening space extending over 

 the shoulders and back, together with the bases of the 

 wing-coverts, are white with a tinge of bluish ash- 

 colour; the tail coverts both above and below, and 

 about one-third of the tail itself at the base, purely 

 white ; and all the rest of the plumage deep black. 

 The bill is bluish at the base and black at the tip ; the 

 iris reddish brown ; and the legs and claws are dusky 

 black. 



This bird is a common inhabitant of New South 

 Wales ; but has only lately been figured for the first 

 time in the Zoological Atlas to M. Freycinet's Voyage 

 round the World. MM. Quoy and Gaimard, the natu- 

 ralists of that expedition, state that they saw numbers 

 of the species on the Blue Mountains, living in small 

 troops. The individual figured by them was brought 

 to France alive ; it was very quiet, and sufiered itself 

 to be caressed without evincing any uneasiness. On 

 board ship it was a source of great amusement, in con- 

 sequence of the facility with which it mimicked the 

 notes of other birds. In imitating the young cock in 

 particular, the deception was complete ; and it clucked 

 and cackled like a hen. At Port Jackson it had been 

 taught to whistle a variety of airs, which it had 

 partly forgotten ; but it readily recovered them, when 

 prompted. 



Mr. Caley's notes inform us, on native authority, 

 that these birds build their nests in trees of sticks lined 

 with grass, and have three young ones. In the morning 

 they make a loud whistling noise high up in the trees. 

 They do not appear to be migratory, and are found only 

 in particular places. 



