PLANS AND PERFORMANCES 49 



weak contented themselves with gathering in listless groups, 

 murmuring plaintively. If the hives were inquiringly 

 tapped, instead of a furious and instant alarm and angry 

 outpouring of excited and wrathful citizens, eager to 

 sacrifice themselves in the defence of the rights of the 

 commonwealth, there was merely a buzzing remonstrance, 

 indicative of decreased population, weakness and discon- 

 solation. 



The cause of so great a change in the character and 

 demeanour of citizens who erstwhile worked as honey- 

 carriers all day, and who during the hot, still nights did 

 duty as animated ventilating fans to maintain a free cir- 

 culation of air through the hive, had to be investigated. 

 Soon it was revealed in the presence of two species of birds, 

 the Australian bee-eater {Merops ornatus) and the white- 

 rumped wood -swallow {Artamus leucogastd). The former 

 is one of the handsomest of the smaller birds of Australia, 

 Its chief colouring being varying shades of green with 

 bronze-brown and black head and blue back ; and to add 

 to its appearance and pride two graceful feather-shafts of 

 - black protrude from the green and yellow of the tail. It 

 travels in small companies of, say, from four and five to a 

 couple of dozen, and in its flight occasionally seems to 

 pause with wings and tail outspread, revealing all its charms. 

 Fond it is, too, of perching on bare twigs commanding a 

 wide survey, whence it darts with unerring precision to 

 catch bees and other insects on the wing. If its prey takes 

 unkindly to its fate, the bird batters it to death on its perch 

 ere swallowing it with a twitter of satisfaction. The wood- 

 swallow wears a becoming suit of soft pearly grey and 

 white, to contrast with its black head and throat. It has a 

 graceful, soaring flight and a cheerful chirrup. At certain 

 seasons scores congregate on a branch, perching in a row, 

 so closely compact that their breasts show as a continuous 

 band of white. When one leaves his place to catch an 

 insect, the others close up the ranks and dress the line, and 

 on returning, wrangle and scold as he may, he needs must 

 take an outside place. Let a bush fire be started, and flocks 



D 



