THE MAGPIE. IT 



and black-backed Australian Magpies, better known 

 in books as Piping Crows {Gymnorhma leuconota and 

 G. tiimm). These are short-tailed pied birds, about 

 the size of the common house-crow, and are quite aa 

 much allied to the shrikes as to the true crows, 

 though they more closely resemble the latter in form 

 and habits. They have and deserve a high reputa- 

 tion, for they are good and very free talkers, and 

 their own natural note is a beautiful whistle, very 

 different from the varied cacophony of the genuine 

 Magpie and crow. It is not surprising, therefore, 

 that they readily learn to whistle tunes, though in 

 their case, as in our own, " a little knowledge " ia 

 objectionable. The London Zoo had one once which 

 persistently whistled a hne and a half of a song. 

 With this, as the late Mr. A. Bartlett told me, he 

 habitually saluted the morn, and got so annoying 

 that he had to be banished from the precincts of 

 the Superintendent's dwelling to the Western Aviary. 

 For, as the narrator of the episode said, he " used 

 to he in bed and sweat, waiting for him to begin !" 



F, BC 



