AZURE-WINGED MAGPIE. 143 



colour as follows: — One hundred and thirty-five were 

 of the natural colour, that is, dirty white, more or less 

 clear, with spots of olive brown and dark green, 

 particularly at the greatest end. Twenty-seven had 

 few spots, and a well-marked circlet at the greatest 

 end. Four with a circlet well marked at the smaller 

 end, of which one had the rest covered with spots. 

 Eleven were finely dotted, principally at the larger 

 end. Four had three or four dots slightly marked 

 about the large end. Three were greenish, without 

 spots. Two bluish, without spots. One dirty white, 

 without spots, and a slight blue shade. 



The Azure-winged Magpie is stated by Latham to 

 build its nest in the same manner as the Common 

 Magpie, which will give the above quotations sufficient 

 interest to justify my inserting them here. He also 

 says that it is a very timorous bird, and withal a noisy, 

 crafty, clamorous species. It appears in the eastern 

 part of Asia in flocks in April. 



The adult male and female have the top of the head 

 as far as the nape a deep glossy black; mantle, back, 

 and scapularies, ash-colour; throat and front of neck 

 pure white; crop, flanks, and belly, greyish ash, whiter 

 in the middle; wings and tail of a brilliant azure blue; 

 quill feathers black, the first entirely, but the rest 

 bordered with azure at the base, and tipped at the 

 points with white; first quill feather half as long as 

 the second. Tail blue, tipped with white. Beak and 

 feet black. 



Figured by Gould, Azure-winged Magpie. 



