SMALL-BILLED CROW. 
greenish-yellow naked skin and eyes closed; the skin soon darkens, and the 
eyes open on about the fifth day.” 
MacgiUivray then recorded from Queensland three species: “ Corvm 
cormoides. Crow. Noted occasionally in the Gulf countr 3 ^ CorviLS bennetti. 
Sliort-billed Crow. This species predominates throughout the Gulf country, 
and is the usual foster-parent of the Channel-bill. On a channel of the GiUiat 
River, near Sedan, 23 nests were found one morning containing either young 
Crows, young Chaimel-bills or Crows’ eggs. The trees of other creeks on the 
plain were resorted to in the same way. This was in IMarch, at the end of the 
wet season.” 
Ashby reported from Pungonda, South Australia: “ Corvus bennetti. 
Two nests of this bird were found, both with young ; it seems the Crow of the 
district.” 
Jackson has written from the Diamantina River, Western Queensland: 
'‘Corvus australis. Raven. Very plentiful and breeding. Corvus bennetti. 
Yeiy plentiful and one pair found breeding. They hve in company with the 
Ravens. Specimens were secured for identification of both these species. 
Both species were shot, possessing both hazel and white eyes. The white 
eye in both species had a faint tinge of blue on the inside edge beside the pupil, 
then sometimes it would be on the outside edge. Probably the eyes get white 
as the birds grow older. A male specimen of Corvus australis (testes swollen) 
measures in mm-.: Total length 495, wdng 343, tarsus 56, tail 217, bill 66 ; 
legs, bill and claws black; eyes hazel. A female specimen of Corvus bennetti 
(ovaries large) measures : Total length 425, wing 315, tarsus 51, tail 165, bill 49 ; 
legs, biU and claws black ; eyes bluish-white.” 
Mr. J. P. Rogers wrote me: “ Corv'us bennetti. In April 1910 there was 
13 inches of rain in two days, a most unusual fall for that month, as usually 
the dry season sets in at the beginning of this month. This rain caused a 
tremendous growth of weeds, and in May and June the weeds on the banks 
of the Pitzroy were alive mth large green, black and dull red caterpillars, 
aU the three kinds being large. These Crows then came in thousands and in 
a short time there were very few grubs left. Every year these birds come in 
large flocks about March and remain until after the cold weather. They are 
not gun-shy like the Common Crow : if a shot is fired or they see a man with a 
gun after they have been shot at a few times they fly out of range but return 
almost immediately. At Marngle Creek a few came to the camp occasionally, 
and on the 30th May a flock of about fifty came after sundown. When at 
Mungi at first there were none, but one day a large flock came and I put out 
the carcase of a rock-wallaby well dosed vdth strychnine. The Crows gathered 
round the bait but would not touch it, then two brown Hawks flew down and 
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