Australian Birds. 59 



" been set as bait for dingoes, and just before death, with the meat still 

 ' undigested, it was looking about for more. These birds of course 

 " are giant kingfishers. I found another kingfisher, a beautiful azure 

 " one (A. asurea), flying about the creek near the station, and settling on 

 " the ti-trees, with their lovely, red ' bottle-brush ' flowers, like a piece 

 " of sky settled there. Yellow and black honeyeaters, with their mottled 

 " bodies, were pecking at the flowers, and everywhere were the Diamond 

 " Sparrows, with their coats of grey and red, with red bills for a finish 

 ■ and marbled wings; these were also feeding on the flowers. Lovely 

 " Httle Emu-wrens, with their tails Hke aigrettes, were flyng in the 

 " bush, and Thick-heads or Mutton Birds were common also. By the 

 " way, it is a pity that there are so many birds with the same popular 

 "names; there are several mutton birds, for instance, and this causes 

 " much confusion to a stranger. One is a petrel and another is the 



■' wattle-bird, a bird with a wattle of naked red flesh hanging on the side 

 " of the neck, which gives it one of its names. And the Apostle Birds, 

 " with their mournful whistle, flew in their usual numbers — for they have 

 ' received their name from the fact that they usually fly in flocks of about 

 " twelve birds. Crows also gave a mournful cry, like a wailing child, 



" and at first I was alarmed by the call, thinking it really was a child in 

 '■ pain." 



"It is astonishing what a number of Australian birds are of a 

 " grey tint combined with beautifully contrasted colours. One of the 



" most beautiful is the Galah (Roseate Cockatoo. — W.T.P.), a very 

 " common species of grey bird, with a rose-pink breast, and these are 

 " most friendly, inquisitive creatuers, and come quite near, uttering their 

 " shrill cry and raising and lowering their pretty crests all the time. 

 " To these engaging qualities he is good to eat and easy to catch. . . . 

 " Bower-birds are to be found in Queensland, but not so numerously as 

 ' in the other states. One of the loveliest is the Regent Bird, of 



" yellow-orange and black velvet. These birds are most playful, and love 

 " a game of hide and seek in their bower ; and this is also true of the 

 " Lyre-bird, which is found on the southern border of the state, though 



'■ more common in New South Wales Another bird, famous 



' for its beautiful nest, is the Scrub Warbler, which builds a hanging nest, 

 '■ and these nests assume a great variety of shapes; they all contain holes 

 " at the side, but some are like cups and some like bags, and some have 

 " the hole at the side like an afterthought ; these birds are still common in 

 " the scrub on the southern borders of Australia." 



" One more lovely bird is the Spotted Bower-bird (C. macHlata), with 

 " its wonderful magenta crest. It makes its bower of the bones of small 

 " animals and any bright material found in or near houses, for it will 

 " venture there in search of anyth'ng brightly coloured. Glass it 



" particularly loves, and bright beads or .stones of any kind; but I find it 

 " loves the open spaces where it can see all round it, not choosing to build 

 " anywhere within the shade of trees." 



" One day a turkey drive was organised at the station with the 

 " object of obtaining turkeys for food Two were secured, 



