20 MATESHIP WITH BIRDS 



the ventriloquial wail of one of the little birds 

 sounded hard by a pretty coincidence. The shrill 

 nature of this whistle is calculated to give its author 

 a hearing in any bush orchestra. It is quite simple 

 and easy of imitation. With a fluency developed in 

 many attempts to win the confidence of other birds, 

 I once addressed a solitary Bronze Cuckoo which, 

 freshly arrived in the district, was placidly banquet- 

 ing on caterpillars at the top of a sapling. Cherchez 

 la femme! Apparently having other Spring ambi- 

 tions besides the pursuit of insects, the pretty bird 

 spread wide his tail and drooped swiftly towards 

 the source of the invitation. But a Yellow-tufted 

 Honeyeater had charge of the world below, and the 

 avine Lochinvar was forced to flee from a rebuke 

 thoroughly righteous in its vigor. A second whistle 

 brought a repetition of the comedy. I let the mat- 

 ter rest at that; it would hardly have been fair to 

 test the Cuckoo's valor (and gullibility) any further. 



Incidentally, one must admit that the sex of the 

 bird was only assumed; and, on the same principle 

 of fairness, it should be added that there was 

 another August day whereon a similar whistle, 

 which much resembles the pipe of the pretty Crested 

 Shrike-Tit, moved a female of that species to follow 

 the call excitedly for a good half-mile! 



In many instances the voice of a bird is a key to 

 its nature. At all events, the call is nearly always 

 an indication of the spirit of the bird, and in har- 

 mony with its flight. Thus, the Pallid Cuckoo flies 

 as deliberately as it calls, and the Swift Lorikeet (to 

 take just one instance) calls as boisterously as it 

 flies. I see this strange honey-eating Parrot, with 



