428 
BIRD-LIFE. 
and colour, action and habits of the bird, possess an 
indescribable charm over us. The form combines in 
itself beauty, grace, and lightness; the colours of the 
plumage challenge the very blue of heaven’s vaulted 
home, the purple tints of the morning, the blossom of the 
flower, the brilliancy of the sparkling jewel: it would 
seem, indeed, as though bounteous Nature had showered 
down the contents of her cornucopia upon the feathered 
creation. Side by side we see form and colour, and 
those birds not endowed with either we find gifted with 
all the powers of song,—perhaps the most wondrous gift 
of all. Thus each and all possess some one gift or 
another, which causes us to admire and love the whole 
feathered creation,—beautiful and attractive creatures 
that they are. We call the Parrakeet pretty, from the 
brilliancy of its plumage, quite oblivious of its hideous 
screaming note, uttered with a perseverance worthy a 
better cause, and which we hear with under our very 
ears, though, at the same time, we turn with disgust 
from any mammal whose voice is similarly disagree¬ 
able ; we call the different Finches, especially the 
smaller species, lovely creatures, and are charmed at 
first sight by the Golden Oriole, the Starling, the 
screeching Glossy Starling, and the Bower Bird; we 
allow ourselves to be so enraptured with the plumage of 
certain members of the Crow family as to call them Birds 
of Paradise, and are much amused by the true Crows 
and Ravens, in spite of their common-place appearance ; 
admiring, for their beauty, the more gaudy members of 
the class, although we are aware of their unamiable 
qualities. Birds of Prey, though apt to injure our 
property, yet come in for a certain amount of considera¬ 
tion. The Swallows win our love, although their plumage 
