THE LESSEE WHITE-BACKED MAGPIE 347 



would resort to, in order to compel you to attend to her wants in 

 this respect. One summer evening when attending to the 

 garden, I pretended to take no notice of her, though she had 

 recourse to all her blandishments in order to induce me to offer 

 her my forefinger. Maggie was not to be put off, so she looked 

 about and caught a beetle, and then jumped on to my knee, 

 uttering a low chirpy noise. Evidently this beetle was meant for 

 me, so stooping down, I opened my mouth, when she coolly 

 dropped it in. Of course I could not resist this last appeal. 

 When we scolded this bird, she would assume an air of humble 

 contrition so irresistibly comic that we could not help laughing. 

 She was very fond of being praised, and showed her apprecia- 

 tion of flattery by joyfully skipping about." 



The White-backed Magpie is a more wary and a shier bird than 

 the Black-backed. Mr. Campbell considers that the delightful 

 clear ringing call is fuller and louder than in the other species. 

 He distinguishes the carol or song, a whistle-like call and a long 

 squeak-like note of alarm. 



The nesting habits and nest of G. leticonota are like those of 

 G. tihicen. A nest measured 18 inches across outside, 8 inches 

 inside, and was 3 inches deep. Normally it is constructed of 

 dead twigs and lined with fibres, grass, casuarina needles, wool, 

 &c. The breeding season lasts from August to October. 



The Lesser White-backed Magpie. 



Gymnorhina hyperleuca. 

 Adult female: Glossy bluish-black or black, except nape, hind neck, 

 upper and under wing and tail-coverts; tail (except terminal band) and 

 vent, white; bill bluish graduating into black at the tip; iris bright hazel; 

 legs black. Total length 13.5 inches, eulmen 1.75, wing 9.4, tail 5.5, tarsus 

 2. Adult female: Differs in having hind neck and back grey, and 

 terminal band of tail brownish-black. 



Confined to Tasmania, where from longer protection it is 

 perhaps the tamest of our Magpies, sometimes building its nest 

 by the wayside of thoroughfares and streets. The nests are 

 similar to those of the continental birds, and the Magpies are 

 always ready to make use of any suitable if unusual material 

 provided by the vicinity of man. Mr. A. E. Brent noticed nests 

 made of wire, and of reaper and binder twine. The breeding 

 season is from August to the end of the year. 



