The Emu. ii5 
walks). He holds himself nearly as upright as a Penguin. He 
looks warily round, then up he jumps to a water-dish and begins 
his breakfast, but his eyes wandering everywhere, as much on 
the alert as a blackfellow among strangers. " Weedah " is very 
well dressed in dark brown feathers, spotted with light tan on 
wings and back, a shaded grey breast, and a lovely pink- 
heliotrope patch of colour at the back of his neck, a patch which 
he can unfurl at times to look larger. 
A little pecking and a few cat-calls then off he goes, but soon 
returns with his mate, very like him but minus the heliotrope 
patch. They do not stay long ; she is shy ; he takes her home 
and returns himself, when he finds in possession three Magpies. 
These are " Moograbah," the Black-backed Magpies. Such 
impudent-looking birds, as they swagger along, heads on one 
side or thrown back, with a cock-of-the-walk air, as, with rather 
swinging long strides they come into the foreground and try to 
clear the stage of all other birds. Sometimes they give no 
warning of their coming, but swoop down like a hawk, establish- 
ing a scare. 
But the " Gidgeeais " (Apostle Birds) wake up, shriek on to 
the scene, and refuse to be bluffed by the arrogant terrors of the 
bush. 
While they are engaged in sniping at each other the little 
Crested Pigeons sith, sith, sith, as if they had silken wings, 
down among the crumbs — first at the outside edge, then, 
watching their chance, topknots erect like a blackfellow's 
corroboree decoration, trot, trot, with quick short steps, some- 
thing like a Chinaman's when shouldering his baskets or 
watering cans. Such trim little birds these — neat little heads, 
pink-eyed, pink-toed, a pink flush on each side of their breasts, 
toning exquisitely with their dove-grey plumage. As they 
move, the sun catches the purple and green bronze tints on their 
wings, giving them a metallic sheen. Very homespun and bull- 
necked the " Gidgeeais " look beside them. 
Most birds seem to peck quickly at their food, but the 
" Goolahwilleel " or Crested Pigeon particularly so. At last a 
sense of repletion comes over them, they start a soft cooing 
" Ooh ! ooh ! ooh ! " Their topknots lower from their fighting 
altitudes, giving the birds quite a mild air for a few seconds, 
when up they dart again, getting a forward incline while " Ooh ! 
ooh! oohing!" The Pigeons spread out their white-tipped, 
black-barred fan-tails, with the aplomb of a peacock, and play- 
fully try to prod the objects of their attentions, as with a sort of 
curtseying step they trot, trot after them, the pursued enjoying 
the chase evidently, as they never attempt to fly away. When 
tired of this coquetting they return to the crumbs, or perhaps to 
drink, though at meal times the pigeons are not great drinkers, 
drinking their fill regularly at early morn at the creek, flocking 
to its edges sometimes in hundreds, and again when the sun 
