WHITE-BACKED MAGPIE. 
River, 30 miles north. There is still a great amount of information wanting 
as to the various phases of plumage before the fully adult stage is obtained, 
and although I had excellent opportunities of learning these, I must plead 
that a sheep farmer is a very busy man and he cannot be always studying 
ornithology or any other ‘-ology,’ but on May 4th, 1911, a bird, eighteen months 
old, kept at the house, had its back almost all black, with a few white edgings 
to the mantle generally. On November 18th of the same year, the back of its 
neck was still mottled grey. The earliest date upon which young birds were 
heard in a nest was August 21st, 1908. On Sept. 18th, 1910, a bird had been 
sitting on its eggs for some time and they hatched a day or two afterwards. 
Young birds left this nest on Oct. 19th. Young birds were first heard in 
another nest on Oct. 17th and they left it on Nov. 22nd. At the house on 
Eeb. 25th, 1912, young birds of previous year began to sing.” 
On the occasion of the recent visit of the Roval Aust. O.U. to Western 
Australia, eastern ornithologists met with the western form in life and their 
comments are here reproduced. 
Captain S. A. White has written : “ This is a very puzzling bird, and one 
would require a good long series to give a definite opinion upon the colour 
phases. The mottled coloration of the immature bird is very remark- 
able, and the writer is of the opinion that this bird is worthy of specific 
difference.” 
Mr. Edwin Ashby wrote : “ Common at Claremont and Watheroo, but 
wary. I secured a female which is remarkably like the Black-backed species, 
except that the white neck collar is much less pronounced, and there are some 
white flecks in the middle of the black saddle. It seems a fully adult bird 
in mature plumage. The male birds appeared to be similar to our White- 
backed species. Truly, the combination is not only remarkable, but also 
most distinctive.” A 
Mr. J. W. Mellor stated : “A few were seen, but not common, as in the 
south. The call is quite different from that of the nearly allied White-backed 
species. One of its call-notes resembles the double call of the Brown Hawk, 
uttered when flying. On several occasions I paused to make certain that the 
call was not made by a Hawk.” 
These remarks are interesting as showing the opinions of different workers 
upon very slight differences when the differently coloured female birds are 
examined ; the males show scarcely any difference save in the longer thinner 
bill which may not be constant. It may be remarked that when a series of 
birds showing these plumage changes was examined by Ogilvie Grant he did 
not regard them as of any value and, ignoring the lengthened bill as also of 
little value, did not even separate the western form subspecifically. I do not 
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