EYES AFLAME 107 



to a resting-place, and with bowing head and jerking tail 

 gloats over his splendid feat. 



Though denied fluency of utterance, the spangled 

 drongo has no rival in the peculiar character of the notes 

 and calls over which he has secure copyright. The shrill 

 stuttering shriek which accompanies his aerial acrobatic 

 performances, the subdued tinkling tones of pleasure, the 

 jangle as of cracked china, the high-pitched tirade of 

 jarring abuse and scolding at the presence of an enemy, 

 the meek cheeps, the tremulous, coaxing whistles when the 

 young first venture from the nest — each and every sound, 

 unique and totally unlike that of any other bird, indicates 

 the oddity of this sportful member of the crow family. 



Eyes Aflame 



Perhaps the most interesting and entertaining of all the 

 birds of the island is that commonly known as the weaver or 

 friendly bird, otherwise the metallic starling, the shining 

 calomis of the ornithologist, the " Tee-algon " of the 

 blacks. Throughout the coastal tract of North Queensland 

 this bird is fairly familiar. In these days it could not 

 escape notice and comment, for it is an avowed socialist 

 establishing colonies every few miles. There are four on 

 Dunk Island, and though not permanent residents, spending 

 but little more than half the year with us, they are among 

 the few birds who have permanent homes. In some lofty 

 tree they build perhaps two hundred nests in groups of 

 from two to six. With all these nests weighting its 

 thinner branches the tree may look wearied and afflicted, 

 but it obtains direct benefit from the presence of the birds. 

 The nests, deftly built of tendrils and slender creepers 

 and grass are domed, the entrance being at the side, 

 and so hidden and overhung as almost to escape notice. 

 Each August the birds appear, coming from the north, 

 and until the middle of March, when they take their 

 departure, they do not indulge in many leisure moments. 

 There are the old nests to renovate and new ones to build 



