on songsters of New South Wales.



87



males rich, organ-like and other notes, they are the finest avian

mimics in the world, imitating to perfection the notes of other birds

frequenting the same haunts, and any sound they may hear, such as

that produced by the sawing of wood or a dog barking. Within

seven miles of Sydney, Menura superha may still be found about

Middle Harbour, but on very rare occasions on the western side,

owing to the comparatively recent clearing of the undergrowth.

These birds are, however, more freely distributed the farther north

one goes, and are fairly numerous in the scrub-covered gullies and

ravines between the head of Middle Harbour and the Hawkesbury

River. Unfortunately, in the mountainous districts in the south¬

eastern portion of the State, a large number of this fine species,

and also of M. victories, principally females, are destroyed every

year by the introduced fox.


The Family Laniida? is represented by the Black-backed

Crow-Shrike ( Gymnorhina tihicen) and the White-backed Crow-

Shrike (Gr. leuconota), familiarly known, both in Australia and

Tasmania, as “Magpies.” They are extremely useful birds, and rid

the land of countless numbers of injurious insects and their larvae.

The White-backed and Black-backed Crow-Shrikes are also early

risers, and their flute-like carols are pleasant to the ear ; nor must

the varied liquid-like whistling calls of their smaller congener, the

Black-throated Crow-Shrike or “ Butcher-bird,” be forgotten. The

Black-throated Crow-Shrike ( Cracticus nigrigularis), an extremely

wary species, and the Collared Crow-Shrike (C. destructor), known

everyvdiere in Australia as “ Butcher-birds,” are more arboreal in

habits, the former frequenting chiefly the far central and western

districts of the State. The latter is more common in Eastern New

South Wales, and may be found breeding within a few miles of the

metropolis. It has a penchant for abstracting Canaries and other

small birds kept in captivity through the wires of their cages.


The Family Muscicapidae is well represented by the various

species of Flycatchers, Bush-Warblers and Robins. Of the Fly¬

catchers, the Brow r n Flycatcher, or “ Jacky Winter ” ( Micrceca

fascinans), is the commonest resident species in Eastern New' South

Wales, frequenting and breeding in the parks and public gardens

of Sydney, and the first species in early spring and summer to



