The eye is often mentioned, but hazel-eyed birds have become white-eyed. However, the Raven has lanceolate feathers on the neck, and a rougher, unmusical voice.
The Raven seems the more common bird, though most people will tell you there are no Ravens in their district.
The Apostle-Bird (Gray Jumper), and the White-winged Chough are two of Australia's "anomalous birds." Both go in flocks, so each has been called the "Twelve Apostles." However, the name has become attached to the Gray Jumper.
The White-winged Chough has no close relative in the world; possibly, the Chough that nests in the cliffs of Cornwall is nearest to it.
The Bell-Magpies (Streperas), perhaps better known as Black or Gray Magpies, are now receiving much notice, because of their position at the head of the bird-world. They are restricted to Australia, Tasmania, and Lord Howe Island. A good name is required for these birds, for, of course, they are not Magpies, though they have a white-tipped tail, and there is usually whitein the wing, and about the base of the tail. They are fine, large birds, with a variety of notes.
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F. 164. CORVIDAE (5), CROWS, Rook, Raven, Jackdaw, Magpie (Br.), Jay, Nutcracker, Chough, 274 sp.—27(25)A., 73(58)O., 69(53)P., 15(9)E., 43(35)Nc., 73(65)Nl.363387 Hazel-eyed Crow,Corvus coronoides, A.Nom. c.open,timber20Black glossed with purple; white down; hazel eyes; f., smaller. Insects, carrion, fruit, not lambs.388 Small-billed Crow,C. bennetti, W.N.S.W., V., S.A. Like 387, but smaller; bill small; eye white; f., sim. Insects, carrion. "Car" repeated.Stat. v.r.plains18.5389 Australian Raven, Crow (e),C. marianae (Corone australis), A., T.Nom. v.c.plains,timber20Black glossed purple; throat feathers lanceolate, tinged green; down dusky-gray; eyes white; f., smaller, lanceolate feathers not so well developed. Locusts, caterpillars, omnivorous, destructive. "Loud, deep Gwar-gwar, varied with shrill, high-sounding Korr-Korr" (North).11390*Apostle-Bird, Gray Jumper, Twelve Apostles,Struthidea cinerea, N. Ter., E.A., S.A. (inland).Stat. small flocks, r.open timber13Gray; wings brown; bill, legs black; eye white; f., sim. Mud nest. Insects. Incessant chattering.
F. 164. CORVIDAE (5), CROWS, Rook, Raven, Jackdaw, Magpie (Br.), Jay, Nutcracker, Chough, 274 sp.—27(25)A., 73(58)O., 69(53)P., 15(9)E., 43(35)Nc., 73(65)Nl.
363
387 Hazel-eyed Crow,Corvus coronoides, A.
Nom. c.open,timber20
Black glossed with purple; white down; hazel eyes; f., smaller. Insects, carrion, fruit, not lambs.
388 Small-billed Crow,C. bennetti, W.N.S.W., V., S.A. Like 387, but smaller; bill small; eye white; f., sim. Insects, carrion. "Car" repeated.
Stat. v.r.plains18.5
389 Australian Raven, Crow (e),C. marianae (Corone australis), A., T.
Nom. v.c.plains,timber20
Black glossed purple; throat feathers lanceolate, tinged green; down dusky-gray; eyes white; f., smaller, lanceolate feathers not so well developed. Locusts, caterpillars, omnivorous, destructive. "Loud, deep Gwar-gwar, varied with shrill, high-sounding Korr-Korr" (North).
11
390*Apostle-Bird, Gray Jumper, Twelve Apostles,Struthidea cinerea, N. Ter., E.A., S.A. (inland).
Stat. small flocks, r.open timber13
Gray; wings brown; bill, legs black; eye white; f., sim. Mud nest. Insects. Incessant chattering.
391, 392, 393, 394, 395 - click to enlarge
11391*White-winged Chough, Black Magpie (e), Jay (e), Apostle-Bird (e),Corcorax melanorhamphus, E.A., S.A.Stat. small flocks, c.timber16Sooty black, white on wing only; eyes red; f., sim. Mud nest. Insects, fruits, seeds. Low, mournful whistle.F. 165. STREPERIDAE (7), BELL-MAGPIES, Streperas, Crow-Shrikes, 7 sp. A.77392*Pied Bell-Magpie(Crow-Shrike), Currawong. Mutton-Bird (e),Strepera graculina, E.A., Lord Howe Is.Nom. r.timber18.5Black; white patch on wing, upper base tail, under base tail, tip tail; eye yellow; f., smaller. Berries, fruit, insects.393 Black-winged Bell-Magpie(Crow-Shrike),S. melanoptera, V., S.A., Kangaroo Is.Stat. v.r.scrub19Black, white tip tail, under base tail; f., smaller. Insects.394*Gray Bell-Magpie(Crow-Shrike), Gray Magpie, Rain-Bird, Squeaker,S. versicolor (cuneicaudata), E.A.Stat. v.c.timber,orchard19Gray; white on wing, tip tail, under base tail; eye orange; f., sim. Insects, fruit. Loud, ringing notes. "It's-going-to-rain." "Two and two are four." Cree-e-ling, cree-e-ling.395 Sooty Bell-Magpie(Crow-Shrike), Black Magpie (e),S. fuliginosa, E.A., S.A., T., Bass St. Is.Stat. r.timber18Sooty black; white in wing, tip tail; eye yellow; big bill black; f., sim. Insects, fruit.
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391*White-winged Chough, Black Magpie (e), Jay (e), Apostle-Bird (e),Corcorax melanorhamphus, E.A., S.A.
Stat. small flocks, c.timber16
Sooty black, white on wing only; eyes red; f., sim. Mud nest. Insects, fruits, seeds. Low, mournful whistle.
F. 165. STREPERIDAE (7), BELL-MAGPIES, Streperas, Crow-Shrikes, 7 sp. A.
77
392*Pied Bell-Magpie(Crow-Shrike), Currawong. Mutton-Bird (e),Strepera graculina, E.A., Lord Howe Is.
Nom. r.timber18.5
Black; white patch on wing, upper base tail, under base tail, tip tail; eye yellow; f., smaller. Berries, fruit, insects.
393 Black-winged Bell-Magpie(Crow-Shrike),S. melanoptera, V., S.A., Kangaroo Is.
Stat. v.r.scrub19
Black, white tip tail, under base tail; f., smaller. Insects.
394*Gray Bell-Magpie(Crow-Shrike), Gray Magpie, Rain-Bird, Squeaker,S. versicolor (cuneicaudata), E.A.
Stat. v.c.timber,orchard19
Gray; white on wing, tip tail, under base tail; eye orange; f., sim. Insects, fruit. Loud, ringing notes. "It's-going-to-rain." "Two and two are four." Cree-e-ling, cree-e-ling.
395 Sooty Bell-Magpie(Crow-Shrike), Black Magpie (e),S. fuliginosa, E.A., S.A., T., Bass St. Is.
Stat. r.timber18
Sooty black; white in wing, tip tail; eye yellow; big bill black; f., sim. Insects, fruit.
This concludes a necessarily brief outline of the classification of the Birds of Australia, and, incidentally, of the birds of the world, for, while the Emu is one of the most primitive of birds placed right at the foot, the Bell-Magpies (Streperas) are placed at the very summit of the avine tree.
Australians! Realize that you live in a land favored far beyond most as regards birds, and that you have a duty to perform in preserving as many as possible of these unique, interesting, and valuable forms for posterity. Teachers! Your influence is more potent than all the legislation. Bird lovers already freelyacknowledge the fundamental change that has come over the schoolboy since the introduction of nature-study, and they look to you with confidence to extend greatly the good work of cultivating an interest and a pride in things Australian, for this interest will eradicate the once almost-universal, but now rapidly-disappearing, desire for slaughter of anything wearing a feather.
If women could be persuaded to come in line with the once destructive schoolboy in this respect, the bird lover and the well-wisher of his country would have further cause for gratification, and our beautiful birds a further enjoyment of a useful, indeed, often a necessary life, one necessary to the welfare of the agriculturist and the pastoralist, as well as of all dwellers in this fair, sunny land of ours.
Australians! Your wonderful Lyre-Birds, your marvellous Bower-Birds, your gorgeous Birds of Paradise, your Mound-Builders, your flute-noted Magpies, your charming Whistlers, your beautiful and intelligent Cockatoos, your glorious Parrots—the pets of the bird world—your Superb-Warblers, your varied, valuable, and attractive Honey-eaters, and your giant Laughing-Kingfisher are here for your enjoyment and appreciation. No other people has your privilege of knowing these birds in their native state. On the other hand, you enjoy most of the privileges of dwellers in other lands, in addition to your own, for "every widely-spread family of birds but two is found in Australia. The only notable absentees are Vultures and Woodpeckers." Be proud of your heritage, and pass it on uninjured. Though that, alas! is not possible, yet you may pass on at least the remnant that still survives the "blessings and advance of civilization."
Having obtained the approximate length of a bird, look for it on the following pages. Compare the bird before you with the half-tone and colored illustrations, and, if necessary, the written description:—
The Ordinary Figures (175) refer to tabular matter and the Italic Figures (141) refer to the lecture.
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