22 
The Emu. 
epacris spray, and probed its bells until the watchers were 
within a yard, its ruby eyes distinctly visible, then dropped to 
earth, and glided rather than ran through grass and twigs to 
where the purple " sarsaparilla " had enwreathed a bent-down 
wattle sapling. These blossoms he investigated in his search 
for food, and inspection after he had gone revealed the very 
place from which his nectar came. Has the " Cobbler's Awl " 
Bird been noticed feeding on this plant before } That the pea- 
shaped flowers have honey at their base we proved by tasting 
them. The whirr of Spinebills' wings suggested Quail, and in 
more open country these wanderers were about. The long- 
drawn scrape-scrape " of some Snipe, high in mid-air, had 
already broken the night silence nearer town, and on a later 
evening a cry of the real Curlew told that another traveller 
was back. 
Rosellas had been amongst the first birds seen ; others were 
afterwards observed, and a couple of Lorikeets were chronicled as 
passers-by. The Wattle Bird let all know he was near, and Gar- 
rulous ]\Iiners had remarks to make, perchance about the shock- 
ing behaviour of two Brown Kingfishers who disturbed the peace 
by wrangling as to which was favoured swain, and later had a 
duel across the creek. Meanwhile, within short distance from 
where v/e sat a lovely Blue Wren, in brightest marital garb, " a 
very creature of delight," was singing a true love song, and atti- 
tudinizing in Wren's choicest style, finishing his serenade by 
bringing his leg above his wing to scratch his head, as though 
puzzled as to what was next to be. The voices of these Warblers 
had been with us all the day, though not many could be seen. 
Two Thrushes, who had sung a canzonet, dashed by so closely 
as to be within touch, then observed the world in silence from 
a gum sapling for a while. A yellow-breasted friendly bird, 
awaking memories of mountain gully and seaside scrub, put in 
appearance. The " psalm of dawn " of this Shrike Robin came 
in late afternoon, in oft-repeated mellow note, with feeble twitter- 
ings for preluding stave; and to it ff>llowed "crack" like that of 
teamster's whip, recalling autumn days beside the Don, when 
PsopJiodes made his presence known to Bell Miner and to man. 
The Ground Thrush was not visible, nor was the Halcyon, whose 
advent September sometimes sees, but who usually prefers the 
North until October comes. Another missing was the lively 
Short-billed Tree Tit, generally an inhabitant of these parts. 
As darkness drew near, the Magpies, " birds of liquid, piping 
song," who had given constant reminders (and once an angry 
warning) of their presence, became more active and musical ; 
a Magpie Lark called loudly as it flew ; and as we gathered a 
few wattle sprays — *' each blossom laden with a thought " — 
and went homewards, rejoicing in the return of the birds, the 
" bats went round in fragrant skies " above the acacia where the 
Wood Swallows were. A couple of Brown Kingfishers sat 
