THE BLACK-BACKED MAGPIE 343 



Mrs. Bowman said, "I am sure there is something wrong with 

 Maggie. We had better see what it is." Accordingly they rose 

 and went out, and guided by the voice found indeed that poor 

 Maggie had fallen into the well. Mr. Bowman went down him- 

 self in the bucket, and fetched up the bird from the water. 

 Certainly the power to call "Mother," and so appeal for 

 help, saved the bird's life. 



Mr. A. J. Campbell relates the history of a Black-backed 

 Magpie which he saw in Eiverina. "An exceedingly handsome 

 male bird was taken when young from the bush, reared and 

 allowed his freedom about the place. When he was two years 

 old, hen birds from the bush came and coquetted with ' ' Charlie ' ' 

 as he is called, who appeared to pay little heed to his admirers. 

 At last the seductions of one of the hen-birds proved too great, 

 and the pair commenced to build a nest in the nearest tree, not 

 one hundred yards from the house. Charlie proved an exceed- 

 ingly devoted husband, feeding his mate upon the nest regularly 

 by conveying food from the kitchen table, the meat block, and 

 in fact from anywhere he could steal it. This recurred for 

 seven seasons, the seventh season's brood I was witness to, and 

 saw Charlie procuring meat in the kitchen to feed the young. 

 Once Charlie's wing was clipped, when he was forced to climb 

 the tree instead of using flight. On another occasion he 

 unfortunately lost a leg in a trap. It was almost ludicrous to 

 watch how the poor bird used the stump in climbing to assist 

 to feed his offspring. When a brood (usually four in number) 

 was reared, honours seemed to be divided ; he brought two about 

 the house, while the wild bird enticed her pair into the bush." 



The nest is usually placed in the forked branches of a tree, 

 and is a large open structure built outwardly of dead sticks, 

 twigs and strips of bark, and lined securely inside with a ply of 

 fine bark, grass, hair, feathers, &c. External diameter 13 inches, 

 internal five and depth 3Yi. The eggs, three to five, usually four, 

 have a bluish-grey ground colour, smudged or clouded all over 

 with a drab or brown ; length 1.5 inch, breadth 1.1. There is a 

 great amount of variation even in eggs of the same clutch. 

 Breeding season from July to October. 



