PADDY-BIRDS AND EGRETS 237 



the exhortation, " Think of 'er," would scarcely raise a 

 smile from him. 



As he stands and contemplates his image in the 

 murky waters of the village pond, he forms a strange 

 contrast to dhobis the other denizens of the tank who 

 seem to work with might and main, the livelong day, 

 trying to dash garments to pieces against a rugged 

 stone, under the impression that they are doing a little 

 washing. The look of silent contempt which the paddy- 

 bird bestows on the perspiring, grunting washerman 

 would make the latter feel very uncomfortable if he only 

 had the leisure to notice it. The dhobi and the paddy- 

 bird form perfect contrasts ; yet they have one common 

 feature. They are both anomalies. The washerman 1 is 

 the exception which proves the rule that Orientals are 

 placid individuals who never do a stroke of unnecessary 

 work. The blind heron is the exception which proves 

 the rule that birds are active, busy, bustling creatures. 



The paddy-bird, to adapt one of Mr. Phil Robinson's 

 happiest phrases, sits all dingy gray and flies all white. 

 As he loafs on the margin of the murky water he is an 

 inconspicuous object. His brownish plumage, dirty 

 yellow beak, and dingy green legs are all of the hue 

 of the environment. As he takes to his wings the 

 bird is transfigured. He is changed, as if by fairy touch, 

 into a beautiful milk-white bird. His pinions are large, 

 their under surface is snow-like, and they are so con- 

 spicuous as he floats through the air that they distract 

 the eye from all else. The human eye is able to obtain 

 only a general impression of a moving object. A flying 

 kingfisher is a flash of light blue, and a redstart one 



