BIRDS OF CHINA

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 36, 11 August 1923, Page 14

BIRDS OF CHINA

MAGPIES AND PHEASANTS

ABO-UND.

ThougH not a student of bird-life, I have ever been a lover of the winged creatures, and can.' honestly .say that, though. haying_.,the' free .run:,of an;; old muzzle-loading:' '"Joe iStntoh" as a youngster, I never—(cross my he-art on it)—blew the life out of one of God's feathered creatures, even when at the impish stage of boyhood. This being so, it was a sort of logical thing that I should take some little notice of the bird life"wherever I pitched camp, write 3 . "Jack Staff" in the "Sydney Telegraph." One of the most delightful and beautiful birds I ever came across was the Hong Kong (and presumably Chineoe) magpie. He is only about half the size of our Australia^ maggie, but he is blessed with a flonous purple and golden sheen in is dark plumage that our own species does not show. The Austral magpie is rather inclined to a clean, dead. black, but it shines when the suu catches it, and lifts the undertakerish, aspect from

The best place to see the Hong Kong magpie is on the tree-enclosed lawn between'the C.E. Cathedral and the Government Buildings, with all ' the grand harbour panorama below. The little beauties strutted on the sward with all the dignity of drum-majors, and to hear their clear, flute-like warble of a morning was an exquisite pleasure. I have heard the skylark on Yarra Bank, canaries galore, the famous Tientsin thrushes, and many more, but for sheer musical richness none had a, note to compare with the joyous one of the Hoijg Koag magpie. Our 'Australian magpie, as is well known, is not a cowaid nor quitter; see him or her bounce a big dog away from his bone, or anything like that. His little China cousin is just as game. Coming home in my rickshaw just after daylight - from some social shivoo, I noticed a great disturbance about the tvees in front of Murray Barracks, on the Queen's road, and.had my coolie pulled up. There was one of those great, vulture-like Bromley kites, which had been raiding a magpie's nest in the-near-by trees; and just wasn't he getting it! The magpies mustered some eight, or nine strong, and they gave the great, dirty brown thief the time'of his life. One could only liken the affair to a- big lumbering cruiser being attacked by a bevy of destroyers. The bandit could make no escape. The little chaps ■were at him above and below, port and starboard—and they have quite appreciable stabbing bills, too. The affair just lasted about half an hour, and just as I was working up a little sympathy for the kite the attackers retired, chortling in exultation. There is to be said for John Chinaman —that he fs a great bird lover, and he pays tremendous prices for Tientsin larks and thrushes, which are splendid singers, and can keep going for almost any length of time. On a gala day it is a common thing to see a well-dressed Chinese business man taking his caged songster for a walk, together with his honoured silk-clad son; never a daughter though. • • The China pheasants are really beautiful birds; but, unfortunately, foreigners have taught the natives that they are desirable food, hence they are trapped and killed, and can be bought any day in the market, with their bn^ht-hued plumage all dull, j The greatest vandalism I ever saw was when the Hong Kong people gave a big ball and supper, in honour of the exKaiser's brother, Prince Henry, who had come out on the fampus "mailed Sst" stunt.^ in a scrapped ex-British cruiser, The "piece de "resistance" at the supper table was a magnificient roast peacock, with nil his grand array of tail feathers spread out f&nwjse from the body. No wonder it recalled readings from Roman hictory and the gluttonising of Lueullus, Nero, and like gentry. Of course, there was a rush for.slices of the breast, a'leg, and,all the vest of it, and I only hope those gourmands got as little satisfaction from that portion o£ the repasfc as I did. The flesh was just abotit as palatable as .chamois leather, and a 20 cent, "chook" from the market would have been hundreds of time 3 more appetising. ..•.'. .