GREY CROW-SHRIKE. 
form from West Australia. He also named two other species of Strepera , 
viz., fuliginosa from Tasmania, and melanoptera from South Australia. For 
some unknown reason he became unsettled on the matter and in the “Hand- 
book” sank melanoptera as a synonym of arguta, and plumbea as a synonym 
of anaphonensis, both of which are now revived. I quote Gould’s remarks. 
Under the heading Strepera anaphonensis Gould wrote of this species : 
“ Having formerly considered the Grey Crow-Shrikes of New South Wales and 
Western Australia as distinct species, I assigned to the Swan River bird the 
specific appellation of plumbea ; subsequent research has, however, induced 
me to believe them identical ; and if this be really the case, no one species 
of the genus has so wide a range as the present, extending as it does from 
New South Wales on the east to Swan River on the west coast. It is, however, 
more local in its habitat than any of them, at least such is the case in New 
South Wales ; for although it is tolerably abundant at Illawarra, at Camden, 
and at Bong Bong, it was not seen in any other district that I visited. Gilbert . 
states that in Western Australia he mostly met with it in the thickly wooded 
forests, singly or in pairs, feeding on the ground with a gait and manners very 
much resembling the Common Crow. Its flight is easy and long sustained, 
and it occasionally mounts to a considerable height in the air. The stomach 
is very muscular, and the food consists of coleoptera and the larvae of insects 
of various kinds.” 
Mr. F. E. Howe has written me : “ This is a common form in Victoria 
and is stationary. Their loud double ringing note, twice uttered, is often heard 
in the hilly country and it is generally given when on the wing. They appear 
to get their food on the ground and are not altogether honest as far as the 
orchardist is concerned. In the winter months large families are seen, 
numbering sometimes as many as twenty birds in a flock. They nest fairly 
early and fresh eggs are generally seen during September. The clutch is 
usually three, but during the season of 1907 two seemed to be the full 
clutch.” 
Batey has written from near Melbourne : “Of old came down in force 
about autumn, remained through some winter months, after which it left, 
supposedly to breed in the forest country. For years it has been an uncommon 
bird. Saw nest at Newham. This bird has taken to fruit.” 
C. F. Belcher writes : “ The flight of this species, though heavy and 
lumbering to watch, is not by any means slow. On the wing they utter their 
strange ringing shriek which sounds like a sudden protest from some piece 
of badly oiled machinery. They have no other call but this, and, except 
that they are a little more noisy in the spring, seem to be in equally good 
voice all through the year.” 
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