ii6 
The Emu. 
sinks in its golden haze to rest behind the grey coolabahs 
(eucalypts). 
Close to the tamarisk come the Rose-breasted Cockatoos 
(Galahs), luckily too busy feeding to crack the air with their 
harsh shrieks, which so discount their beauty. Then " Swit I 
swit! geliebl ! geliebl ! " sounds as the spick and span little 
" Burrengeens " or Magpie Larks come along, late for break- 
fast, as usual. All wild birds have a clean look, but black 
and white ones especially so. 
" Moograbah " (a Magpie) sights the newcomers. Such a 
chirping begins. From tree to tree the " Burrengeens " are 
hunted, in spite of the protesting chorus of the other birds, bar 
the Pigeons, who take the opportunity to finish, unmolested, their 
morning meal. There seems a regular vendetta between the 
Magpies and Magpie Larks — perhaps the former resent the 
latter imitating their dress so closely. 
All of a sudden, as "a bolt from the blue," comes ''Deereeree " 
(a Wagtail, or Black and White Fan-tail) to pounce at one Magpie, 
while a yellow-billed Miner pursues another. A bird edition of 
David and Goliath ; again the victory lies with David, and the 
Magpie Larks are free to eat their crumbs and smoothe their 
plumage, while their little defenders keep the pot-valiant Mag- 
pies at bay. Even as his prototype David, so is " Deereeree " 
(Fan-tail) a singer of sweet songs. All bushmen know his moon- 
light serenade, " Sweet pretty creature, sweet pretty creature!" 
and all bushmen must often have seen these self-possessed little 
birds wagging their little fan-tails as they hop from place to place 
on the sheep's backs, plucking scraps of wool to work into their 
compact little nests — models of form and ingenuit}^ There 
must be some element of truth in the darkie's evolutionary 
theory that many of the human race are descended from birds. 
Having hunted "Moograbah" (Magpie) off, Deereeree " 
comes for a drink, and " Burrengeen " (Magpie Lark), regardless 
of his obligations, pecks at him. 
Listen ! a long-drawn-out " Sw-e-e-t!" That is the note of the 
" Durrooee," a little dark bird with a speckled head with a 
peacock-blue shaded tuft on top. There she is on the bibbil 
tree. In " Durrooee," the darkies say, is embodied some dead 
woman's spirit. Her cry is said to be the name of which- 
ever woman her form embodies, but to me it seems always 
just a plaintive " Sw-e-e-t ! sw-e-e-t !" 
What a chitter-chatter and a flitter-flutter as the " Duddah- 
loorahs " (Babblers) cluster on to the sweet-scented budtha 
tree. They are somewhat larger than " Durrooee," dark 
feathered but for whitish breasts, a white band across their 
spread-out tails, and speckled heads, slightly crested ; always in 
small flocks, like the Happy Family. Besides their usual chitter- 
chatter they have a lovely drawn-out bar of music — " Whee- 
poor-whee ! whee-poor-whee ! " 
