RAVENS. 271 



die undermost row of the upper wing-covers are white ; the eyes are reddish brown, the beak 

 .brownish grey, and the feet black. According to Gould, these birds are very numerous in New South 

 Wales, where they form a most attractive feature in the fields and gardens, enlivening the landscape 

 with their variegated plumage, and delighting the ear with their peculiar tones as they pour forth their 

 song of greeting to the rising sun. They seem to prefer clear open country, planted with groups of 

 trees, as their usual residence, and for this reason they are but seldom seen upon the coast. Their 

 food consists principally of grasshoppers, which they devour in enormous quantities. The period 

 ■of incubation, in accordance with the inverted seasons of the southern hemisphere, commences in 

 August, and lasts until January, each pair breeding twice in the year : the nest is round and open, 

 formed of twigs, and lined with some softer material. The eggs of the Flute Bird are unknown, but 

 Gould describes those of a very similar species, which he tells us are of a dirty blueish white, often 

 shaded with green, and marked with zig-zag brown streaks of various shades. 'When in confinement 

 these birds are extremely violent and revengeful ; should anything annoy them they will erect their 

 feathers and spread their wings and tail after the fashion of a Game-cock, and are so quarrelsome 

 that they frequently engage in furious combats with much larger birds. Some species are eminently 

 distinguished by the flexibility of their voice, and all are capable of imitating any tunes the)' may 

 happen to hear. 



The BELL MAGPIES (Strepera) differ from the Flute Birds in the formation of their beaks, 

 which are much longer, slenderer, and more delicately arched ; the upper mandible is armed with a 

 powerful hook at the tip, and furnished with conspicuous teeth on its margins. 



THE BELL BIRD OR BELL MAGPIE. 

 The Bell Bird (Sirepera graadma) is of a beautiful blue black ; the roots of the primary wing- 

 quills, from the fo"urth to the eighth, the tip of the tail, and the lower tail-covers, are white, thus 

 giving their plumage the effect of being piebald, the tail appearing entirely white, with the exception 

 of a regular patch of black across its terminal margin; the eyes are of a beautiful yellow, the beak 

 and legs black. In length this species does not exceed seventeen inches. The Bell Bird, like the 

 Flute Bird, is an inhabitant of New South Wales, where it is distributed widely over the face of 

 the country, occasionally appearing upon the coast, but preferring, at least during the breeding 

 season, well watered valleys, abounding in trees; in such localities it also finds its principal supply 

 of food, which consists of berries, fruits, and seeds. When either upon the ground or amongst the 

 branches, these birds are usually seen in very small parties, and but rarely in pairs or large flocks : 

 they live principally in trees, and, though quite at their ease upon the ground, seldom come down to 

 disport themselves upon its surface. Their flight is quite unlike that of our Crows ; when in the air 

 their movements are extremely sweeping and majestic, but cannot be sustained for any length of time. 

 Whilst on the wing they utter a most peculiar resounding ciy, from which the) - derive their name. 

 The nest is large, round, and very open, formed of twigs and lined with moss and grass. With 

 the appearance of the three or four eggs that constitute their brood, we are entirely unacquainted. 

 The settlers of New South Wales hunt the Bell Magpie, as they do the Flute Bird, on account of 

 its flesh, which is regarded as a great delicacy. Very few of this species have as yet reached 

 Europe alive. 



THE BALD-HEADED CROW. 



The Bald-headed Crow (Piaitharks gymnocepludiis) is an extremely peculiar and very rare 

 member of this family, inhabiting Sierra Leone, and we believe entirely confined to that country, 



