THE MAGPIE LARK.

Northland Age, Volume 4, Issue 3, 3 September 1907, Page 6

THE MAGPIE LARK.

W ** ' L/'fl.; FRENCH, F.L.S., F.E.3.* / Government Entomologist. In the ''Journal of Agriculture/ 5 Victoria. • ;v * This bird, commonly known also as Pe-wit, Mud-lark, Pied Grallina, &c., is a general favourite with bush-» men and residents in the city and suburbs. Probably this is one of our commonest and most widely known birds, being a great destroyer of insect life, all and sundry. Its well-known note "Pee-wee," is always heard in the vicinity of rivers, waterholes, or swamps, where, amongst the trees overhanging the' water, it constructs its well-known mud* nest and rears its young. It also builds in pine and other trees in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens and reserves, and, as the nest is usually placed at the end of a branch it is, fortunately, in most instances, out of the reach of boys. The nest is constructed of small pieces of mud, clay, mixed with pieces of dry grass, &c., and measures usually about five to six inches in breadth, and from three to four inches in depth. The eggs, usually four constitute a full set, vary greatly. The usual variety is of a pinkish white ground colour, with brownish spots, often forming a distinct zone at the larger end. In some instances the ground colour is light reddish, with a zone of dark, reddish spots also forming a zone at the larger end. On the Murray, at Benjeroop, near Kerang, I have seen old nests of the Magpie Lark used by tho whiteramped wood swallow (Artamus leucopygialis), and, according to Mr. A. J. Campbell, the little Cuckoo Shrike (Graucalus mentalis) constructs its nest also within that of the Magpie Lark.

The following is Gould’s description of the Magpie Lark "The sexes are very similar in size, but the female may at all times be distinguished from the male by her white forehead and throat, a fact I determined many times by actual dissection, thus showing the fallacy of the opinion entertained by some naturalists of there being two distinct species. The male has a line over the eye, a patch on either side of the neck, a longitudinal stripe on the wings, tip of the secondaries, rump, upper tailcoverts, the basal two-thirds and the tip of the tail, undersurface of the shoulder, breast, flanks, abdomen, and under tailcoverts white ; the remainder of the plumage black, with a deep bluish tinge on the head, throat, chest, and back, and a green tinge on the primaries and tail ; bill yellowish white ; irides, straw-yellow; feet, black. The female differs in having the forehead, lores' and chin white. The young on leaving the nest have the irides black ; in other respects, they resemble their parents, but are*, of course, far less brilliant in colour." Mr. A. J. North records the following interesting particulars regarding this useful insectivorous bird ‘.—"Stomachs of these birds, which I have examined, contained chiefly portions of various insects, those being shot near the coast also containing a little sand mixed with a few blades of grass. I have never known it to eat fruit* or grain. Pastoralists, sugarplanters, farmors, and orchardists, to whom this bird renders valuable services, should therefore, assist in affording it absolute protection by preventing thoughtless boys and pot-hunters from trespassing on • 'their lands in search of ‘something to kill/ not only in the close season, but all the year round. The ever trustful and fearless disposition of the bird should in itself be a sufficient claim to the protection it undoubtedly deserves ; but, unfortunately, the easy manner in which it may be approached is too often the cause of many of them falling victims to misplaced confidence in man. It is an extremely sociable species, frequenting the vicinity of houses, and breeding in trees close to the streets in many of the outlying suburbs." With regard to the courage displayed by this bird, it may be mentioned that, as a rule, very few other birds care to attack it, and even the pugnacious Magpie (Crow Shrike) does not care to interfere with it, tho reverse being often the case, as it is quite a common occurrence to see these little birds chasing after a magpie. The Mud-lark is widely distributed throughout Victoria, and is found also in South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, South and Central Australia, Western and Northwestern Australia, and Tasmania.