THE MAGPIE LAEK 339 



Genus Pinarolestes. 

 Birds very similar to the preceding, but smaller. Second 

 primary equal to the secondaries in length; bill narrower. Our 

 species have a ring of whitish or buffy-white feathers around the 

 eye. 



The Little Shrike-Thrush, P. pnrvulus. — Northern Australia. Distinct 

 white eyebrow; under surface very pale buflf; under tail-coverts 

 whitish. Length 7.6 inches. 



The Rusty-breasted Shrike-Thrush, P. rufiventris. — North and North-east 

 Australia. No distinct eyebrow; under surface, including under tail- 

 coverts, deep fawn colour. Length 6.5 inches. 



P. boweri is closely allied to P. rufigaster, but has the underneath parts 

 brownish, and is a generally darker tint,and is found in Queensland. 

 (Cairns.) Wing 4 inches, tail 3.5. 



In the clear melodious Thrush-like tones, and in the character 

 of the nest and eggs these birds closely resemble the other Shrike- 

 Thrushes. 



Genus Grallina. 



Black and white birds. Second primary longer than the 

 secondaries. 



The Magpie Lark. 

 Grallina picata. 



Australia and Tasmania. 



It is universally distributed over Australia, wherever water is found, 

 and being a general favourite is but little molested. The birds are black 

 in colour with large white areas, the extent of the white varying very 

 greatly in individuals. There is a white patch on each side of the neck, 

 a long white stripe on the wing, the upper tail-coverts and the basal two- 

 thirds, and often the tip of the tail, and the whole of the under -surface 

 behind the breast white also. The female has a white frontal band, and 

 the throat white, but lacks the white line over the eye, and the shade of 

 black is greener than in the male, which is bluer. Length 10 inches, 

 culmen .95, wing 6.95, tail 4.95, tarsus 1.6. 



Of a tame and familiar disposition, haunting gardens, 

 orchards and cultivated paddocks, especially when the ground 

 is being turned over. It feeds on insects, and does not at all 

 interfere with the fruit crops. The flight is peculiar, rather 

 heavy, accompanied by a flapping of the wings. The familiar 



