^°';g^"^-] Correspondence. 55
Correspondence.
IS THE AUSTRALIAN MAGPIE A SONGSTER?
To the Editors of "The Emu."
Sirs,—It would be interesting to learn whether many members of the Ornithologists' Union agree with certain statements that have been made in that excellent little work, "An Australian Bird Book," by J. A. Leach. Too much could hardly be said in praise of the book, but it is a pity it is marred by a few mistakes.
On pages 2 and 3 of the introduction we are told that our Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) is one of the great song-birds of the world, and again, on page 150, "That glorious songster, the Australian Magpie." The Magpie is not a song-bird at all; it utters naturally a harsh guttural sound; yet in confinement, curiously, it can be taught to whistle a few bars of certain tunes. The Magpie lives in association with the Butcher-Bird (Cracticus destructor), which latter is, without a doubt, the finest songster of Australia. The mistake is continually being made, the Magpie being credited with the song of the Butcher-Bird.
Mr. Frank Tate, in the introduction to Leach's "Bird Book," page 4, remarks:—" Australian nature-poetry will be handicapped until our children give names like 'Bobolink' and 'Chickadee' and 'Whip-poor-will' and 'Jacky Winter' to our birds." Well, we have so named a large number, but the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union ignores the names and suggests others. We are told to call the Blood-Bird (Myzomela sanguineolenta) by the name "Sanguineous Honey-eater"; the Crack-a-barney or Twelve Apostles (Pomatorhinus frivolus) by the name "Greycrowned Babbler"; the Willie Wagtail (Rhipidtira motacilloides) by the name "Black-and-White Fantail"; the More Pork (Podargus strigoides) the "Tawny Frogmouth"; and so on. Could anything be more absurd? It is sincerely hoped that the new names will not "catch on." On page 104 the following occurs:— "The Tawny Frogmouth is one of the most peculiar, and is the ugliest of birds. On account of its wide mouth, it is called the Frogmouth. and on account of the confusion connecting it with the Boobook Owl, which calls 'Mopoke,' this bird is also called the Mopoke." Page 85—"The Boobook Owl, though not often seen, calls 'Mopoke,' which sounded like Boobook to the aboriginal ear, but became Cuckoo to the first white residents. . . . . Confusion was caused, for when daylight came, and the Frogmouth was seen sitting in the tree, the Frogmouth was supposed to be responsible for the frequent calls of the previous night. However, some reliable observers, notably Mr. C. H. M'Lennan ('Mallee-Bird') and Mr. T. H. Tregellas, claim that the Frogmouth does call 'Mopoke ' occasionally, but the Boobook Owl is the bird that is responsible for the frequent 'Mopoke' on calm evenings." In "The Birds of Australia," by Lucas and Le Souëf, page 189, the Boobook Owl is also credited with pro-
