THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
as quickly as possible, there was no person in sight, but a fine old Magpie 
making a hasty retreat to a neighbouring tree. They will never attack while 
being watched, but as soon as the head is turned and one starts to move away, 
they will commence their charge ; if then the head is turned back to look at 
them, they swoop up into the air, and return to their perch on a tree. The 
nest is deep bowl-shaped, roughly formed externally with small sticks and 
twigs, lined firstly with horse and cow dung finely broken up, then neatly with 
roots and dry grass stems, fine bark, hair, wool, etc. The clutch is usually 
three or four, and I have examined nests containing eggs from August 20th 
till October 20th.” 
Mr. Ed. J. Christian has written me : “ This noble bird is found in South 
Queensland, North and Central New South Wales, Victoria (north of the 
‘ Divide ’ only), the adjoining parts of New South Wales, South Australia and 
Central Australia. The White-backed Magpie is very rarely seen here although 
a few are seen north of the Divide. I question if the Black-backed Magpie 
has ever been seen south of the Divide ; if so, it was a very rare case. This 
is peculiar, as the mountains are not high, the highest, I suppose, would be 
3,500 feet, yet they seem to form a natural barrier between the northern and 
southern parts of Victoria. This bird is an extremely valuable bird, altho’ 
at times in the year it is a bit of a nuisance to wheat growers. But for all the 
wheat it eats, I think it makes up during the other months by eating much 
vermin. To see a full plumaged cock at close quarters is a sight worth seeing. 
His black parts are coal black, his white parts are snow white, his cruel dark 
brown eyes, his bluish-grey beak and legs all match well, and when he throws 
back his head and rings out his carol he looks splendid. The Thrush’s notes 
are rich and clear, the voice of the Lyre bird is beautiful, and many others which 
I could mention have beautiful notes, but it is greatly to be questioned if any 
of them can put the warblings to such power and perfection as this songster. 
He sings during the day but not to the same extent. During the heat of the 
day all that can be heard is a thin piping, whence he got his name 4 tibicen .’ ” 
Mr. Ashby says : 44 While ‘this is the common Piping Crow-Shrike of New 
South Wales, in the southern parts of Victoria and South Australia leuconota 
only is present, but about 200 miles north of Adelaide both species occur-. I 
have collected the Black-backed at Nackara on the line from Broken Hill to 
Port Pirie and noted White-backed birds in the same locality. Round Pungonda 
tibicen replaces leuconota. It seems fairly evident that in the State of South 
Australia tibicen replaces leuconota in the dry interior, in fact, as with so many 
other birds, its range is largely determined by the rainfall and the altered flora 
that obtains in such situations ” ; and about the Western Australian he noted : 
44 This is undoubtedly a very interesting form. In Oct. and Nov., 1920, I had 
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