THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Mr. E. J. Christian has written from Victoria: “ This is one of the 
commonest birds in these parts and it is a rather mteresting bud, though most 
are apt to despise him. From a distance it is certainly not a handsome bird, 
but at close quarters he improves. At tlie distance he shows a fierce, ugly 
face, as he has a large yeUow bare spot right behuid the eye; close to the 
fierceness disappears. He is sometimes a pest and very hard on the fruit. 
Peaches, apples, pears, grapes and quinces are aU attacked by him. When the 
grapes were ‘ bagged ’ against Sparrows the Mnahs made huge holes in the 
bags and got inside and devoured many bunches. At other times of the year 
they feed on honey from the eucalyptus blossoms and insects. I have watched 
them on the side of a tree proceeding as a Treerumicr would, but then progress 
was very slow and they had to use their vdngs. When searching for food on 
the ground it is very comical to see them turning bits of sticfe, etc., with their 
beaks for insects liiding underneath. They become exceedingly tame and get 
to loiow persons and will come right into the house for bread.” 
Miss Fletcher wrote from the Cleveland District, Tasmania: “This part 
of Tasmania appears to be one of the strongholds of this species, consequently, 
they are very numerous. In whatever direction a ramble is taken, the 
jolly Miners are sure to be there, though very often their persistent 
alarum cries create a strong dislike in the mind of the observer to his grey- 
feathered watchers. In several parts of tliis district w'ere tracts of comitry 
so barren of bird-life that I called them ‘ Saharas.’ Strange that these should 
be the chief ne.sting districts of the Magpie {Gymnorhina hypdkuoa) and the 
Miner. Generally, a nest of each bird was in the same tree. Last season 
two Mners drove a pair of Yellow Wattle-Bu'ds from their partly finished 
nest, padded it a little more and occupied it. The pah' of eggs laid was 
remarkably long for Miners.” 
Robert HaU has given a very fine account of the “ Monung Song of the 
Noisy Miner ” to wliich I must refer my^ readers, as it is too long to reproduce 
here and cannot be condensed without depreciation.” 
As previously noted, Latham named this species from drawhigs four times, 
first as the “ Black-headed Gr(akle). Length rune inches ; bill yellowy a trifle 
bent, and stouter at the base than is usual in the Thrush genus, though not 
greatly dissimilar; the fore-head is white, but the rest of the head black; the 
throat, wdiole of the neck, and all beneath are wdiite, but inclming to bluish 
in some parts ; the back and all the Aving-coverts, Avithout exception, are fine 
pale blue-grey, Avith a trace of Avhite across the low^er part of the last; the 
quills are dusky, edged Avith pale rust; tail tliree inches in length, bluish-ash 
colour, some of the outer feathers incli nin g to pale grey near the ends; legs 
longish, scaly, of a pale yellow oker-colour ; claws dusky and stout. Inhabits 
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