OCTOBER THE WITCHING 49 



The other two species are the White-browed and 

 Masked Wood-Swallows (A. superciliosus and A. 

 personatus) , two handsome companions which are 

 wont to reach Victoria from their northern sojourn 

 in October of each year. It is this practice that 

 makes them to share with the larger Cuckoo-Shrike 

 the colloquial name of "Summer-Bird," while the 

 soft grey coloring of the birds' backs is responsible 

 for the second local title of "Bluie." "Bluies" they 

 were to us boys in the bush days of old, but even the 

 charm of reminiscence will not allow that name to 

 eclipse one which a school-class volunteered in later 

 years. "Skimmers," those kiddies called the grace- 

 ful birds, and the title is almost adequate fit tri- 

 bute to the essentially graceful aerial skating at 

 which these two species, of all the Wood-Swallows, 

 are particularly adept. 



The wonder is that the beautiful soaring flight 

 of these "Summer-Birds" beneath the blue heaven 

 of October has not caught and held the fancy of 

 Australia's poets in the way the Bell-Miners capti- 

 vated Kendall, the Wagtail James Thomas, and the 

 wild Black Swans Paterson. 



The "Skimmers" may always be looked for during 

 the opening days of October. If they come either 

 before the first week or after the second, it may be 

 assumed that the season is somewhat out of joint. 

 Thus in 1914, which (as observed earlier) was fore- 

 bodingly dry and hot, the White-brows astonished us 

 by showing up on September 18. But, as though 

 conscious that the blazing blue skies had led them to 

 make a miscalculation, they disappeared again im- 

 mediately, and were not further reported until 



D 



