The Kin^isher 



begun in 

 homestead 



LTHOUGH in parts of the 

 run distant from the policies 

 three or four pairs of King- 

 fishers have always bred, it 

 is only of late that they have 

 any numl^ers to frequent the 

 and house paddocks. In the 

 earlier days of the station, the birds 

 would arrive in late autumn and remain 

 during the winter, all of them, however, 

 until two years ago leaving us in spring 

 time for various scattered breeding sites. 



In 1908, however, one pair remained after 

 the usual date of departure. 



During early October we could see them 

 flashing from tree to tree in the sunshine, 

 or in the dewy mornings perched on the 

 Stevenson screen and the raingauge, ap- 

 parently deep in meteorological calculations 

 and scientific reflections, but really quite 

 alive to mundane promptings and not 



