158 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 
met a blackfellow of the Waradgery tribe, a most intelligent map 
about twenty vears of age. He informed me, that prior to the 
coming of the white men, blackfellows from Victoria used to penetrate 
Riverina on trading excursions. * Among the articles of barter they 
brought, he specially alluded to stone axes which he said were 
obtained from some hill in Victoria. He produced a fragment of a 
broken stone hatchet, and said ithat on his return to the tribe, he 
would show it to the old men and say he had found one of their 
chisels. cs x Wie 98 2 
I must now direct my attention to a bird which, both in the wild 
and tame states, has afforded me a fund of amusement, combined 
with instruction. J allude to the singing Macrrs. What lover of 
sweet sounds does not admire his charming flute-like note. What 
educated ear for music does not appreciate the splendid time a party 
of those melodists keep in chorussing the strain taken up by the 
leading bird. 
Of all our birds I regard him as the most valiant. At breeding 
time he attacks everything that wears feathers. Savage old cock 
birds will pluckily go for a man, and oftentimes send his felt hat 
flying away. When a small boy, I tried to rob the nest of a sturdy 
veteran, we used to call “savage.” His lordship, whether designedly 
or otherwise, allowed me to climb up to the nest, then he came to 
the attack, and to a lover of sport it must have been a grand sight 
to witness how he chased the small boy out of his dominions. 
With reference to their private virtues, magpies are truly sociable 
in their dispositions, they appear to entertain affection for their 
mates, comport themselves with the dignity of gentlemen, and if 
occasion demands that they should indulge in a frolic, go intoit with 
spirit. On the other hand they are very intolerant, being the sworn 
foes of all other birds which consume similar food to their own. 
Many years since the large brown shrikes resorted to this district 
(Sunbury) every winter im considerable numbers. The magpies took 
a particular aversion to them, and being poor inoffensive creatures 
without any pugnacity, they were greatly tormented. How the 
yellow-eyed innocent would shriek, when half-a-dozen of its perse— 
cutors were pecking away at it, on the ground without merey. 
Breaking loose it would try to reach a tree, but only to be tumbled 
over again. LEyentually it would escape, gain a friendly branch, 
cogitate awhile, hunt for insects under the bark, and then fly down 
again to resume its occupation of turning over stones or rubbish. 
If the singing magpie is unmolested, it courts the society of man; 
many other birds will do the same, and frequently a staid respectable 
old couple, looking,as if they had spent many happy years together, 
will march close up to your doorway in search of crumbs. They 
