THE ARISTOCRACY OF THE CREST 105 



our bird-music. It is not often that the fairy ringer 

 can be seen at this performance, and even your 

 keenest listener may be left in the bewilderment of 

 a Ferdinand crying on a magic isle : 



"Where should this music be? In the air or the* 

 earth?" 



For one thing, the unsubstantial nature of the 

 rolling melody renders it difficult to locate the pro- 

 ducer, and, what is more, he (I have not known the 

 female to "ring" at all) has no desire whatever to 

 be more than an unbodied joy to visitors. The 

 slightest sign of intrusion into his bush recess while 

 the spiritual chiming is in progress is sufficient to 

 silence the pure-voiced bird. 



That is not to say, however, that the bird is not 

 often seen. A species which dwells in every State 

 must needs be fairly well known by sight, and in the 

 case of the Bell-Bird this factor is stressed by a 

 confirmed habit which the bird follows of hopping 

 along roadways. Primarily, this practice has arisen 

 from the bird's discovery that there are many 

 insects to be found about highways, but I suspect 

 also that the sprightly creature has, in contradis- 

 tinction to his attitude when chiming in a bush 

 recess, a very human desire to see and to be seen. 

 Of course, you never hear song of any kind from a 

 Bell-Bird under these conditions. Occasionally he 

 will emit a chattering "Charr-charr-charr," and, if 

 the observer be lucky, it is possible that he may hear 

 a melodious "Clup-clup" as one bird calls the others 

 on their way. 



Nor is the nest of the Bell-Bird very difficult of 

 discovery. Being essentially a stay-at-home species, 



