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THE GEELONG NATURALIST. X 
and bits of wood, to get at the insects underneath. He is 
called a Crow-shrike, of which there are several varieties in 
this district. They take that name from their bill, and their 
general shape being like that of the Crow, while their habits 
are like that of the Shrike in their love of insects. Owing to 
their color being black and white, we call them Magpies. 
They are very cunning and very daring. Many a good crack 
on the head I have had from their wings when I have been 
travelling along, and happened to go near their nest. Once, 
when a lad, I remember having a pair of young ones, the old 
birds found me out, and would watch me, they even followed 
me to the town (Highton), and waited until I came back, so 
that I was compelled to carry a stick to keep them off. A 
curious thing happened with the young. I used to fasten them 
in the garden with a piece of string tied round the leg, and 
fastened to a peg driven in the ground. The old birds 
regularly fed them for several days, but when they found they 
could not get them away, they killed them ; atleast, that was 
the conclusion I came to, for I found them both dead, and 
only a short time before that, the old birds were with them; 
the old magpies then went away, and I saw no more of them. 
The next feathered friend we will notice is the Laughing 
Jackass or Giant Kingfisher (Dacxlo-gigas) This bird is 
also protected by law, and he is well worthy of the protection. 
Very few country people would kill a Laughing Jackass, for 
he is well known to wage constant war on snakes, lizards, 
mice, etc. Often I have seen this bird when the forest has 
been on fire; in the midst of smoke, on the edge of the burning 
scrub, darting down and seizing the different reptiles as they 
were trying to escape the fire, and making for some neigh- 
bouring trees. After hammering its prey against a branch, 
and swallowing it, the bird indulges ina hearty laugh. They 
get very tame when not molested, and are as good as an 
alarm clock in calling you up in the morning. They build 
in hollow trees, and lay two round white eggs. We all know 
the bird, so that there is no needto describe it. Allthe King- 
fisher tribe are insect eaters, and although some of them live 
on fish as well, they should be protected. So also should 
the different Ground Larks and Robins, and, in fact, all the 
insectivous birds that frequent the gardens and fields. These 
little friends are employed all through their lives, destroying 
the different insect pests that infest our orchards and grain 
crops, and we repay them by allowing our boys to destroy 
them and their nests, and then complain of the damage the 
insect tribe do to our field and fruit. Not only this, but not 
being content with destroying our friends, we carelessly allow 
interested persons to acclimatize our enemies, in the shape 
