50 THE NATURALIST IN AUSTRALIA. 
twilight and also during their enjoyment of a rain-bath, as described on a previous 
page. Imitating this note, the author found it possible to establish quite a friendly 
interchange of greetings with examples of this bird which occupied cages in various of 
the Australian Zoological Gardens, and to whom the advent of an_ individual 
sympathetically versed in Podargian language was distinctly welcome. The trans- 
formation from listless melancholy apathy to an attitude of pleasurable excitement 
and eager expectation was on many such occasions most conspicuous; so much so 
that one left them deploring the absence of power to open their prison doors and 
let them free—it seemed so like deserting companions in adversity. 
Another very distinct vocal note to which the Podargi gave utterance was 
manifested with relation only to the near approach of other birds towards whom they 
entertained no hostile but apparently friendly sentiments. If, for instance, their 
comrade the Butcher-bird came near them he was always greeted with this note, 
which was a combined quacking and chattering sound, difficult to place phonetically 
on paper, but which may be approximately rendered by the, to the human mind, 
inane words, “quackaty-quack, quackaty-quack.” Sparrows hopping on the lawn or 
perched on neighbouring bushes were vociferously hailed in the same language, under 
the impression, possibly, that they were poor relations of the Butcher-bird. The most 
remarkable incident, however, associated with this vocal note was the circumstance 
that it constituted the greeting of welcome which was commonly accorded to my 
wife on her first appearance in the morning, and less frequently on other occasions. 
This form of salutation was not extended to myself or to any other personal 
acquaintance, and the only plausible interpretation that can be attached to it is 
that, borrowing a scriptural metaphor, these birds appraised the value of my better 
half's company as equal to or beyond that of’ many sparrows, and greeted her 
accordingly. 
The fourth and last vocal sound, yet unreferred to, uttered by the Podargi, 
bore relation to their mating instincts, and was of a very singular character. During 
the nest-building season this amatory song, as it may be designated, was frequently 
indulged in by both birds and may easily be described. It resembled simply a 
repetition of the words “toot, toot, toot, toot,” repeated with comma, or staccato, 
intervals for a space of two or three minutes, or even more. Then suddenly, 
as though the accumulated words had all been wound up on a spring which now 
over-reached its utmost tension, they all ran down again with a rush, but with 
gradually diminuendo and finally piano and pianissimo expressive force. 
