Australia is well represented in Order XVIII.—Picarian Birds. The Tawny Frogmouth is one of "the most peculiar," and is the "ugliest of birds." On account of its wide mouth, it is called the Frogmouth, and on account of the confusion connecting it with the Boobook Owl, which calls "Mopoke," this bird is also called the "Mopoke" (see p. 85). It so closely mimics a broken branch during the day that it is seldom seen, though it is fairly common.

Gould bears eloquent testimony to the value of Australian birds in general, and the Podargus in particular, when he says: "In no other country is there a greater proportion of insectivorous birds, and certainly none in which nocturnal species such as the Podargi are more numerous."

The Australian Roller (Dollar-Bird) has the family beauty, and has a white circular patch on each wing, which shows clearly when the wing is expanded during flight. At the Tallangatta excursion a pair was working even after dusk near the schoolground. Flying from the topmost dead branch, one bird suddenly closed its wings, and cut queer antics in the air. After flying a considerable distance, it returned to its former perch, and the mate set off. On the return of the mate the first set off again, and so on. With their disagreeable, rough "treek treek," and peculiar antics, they are conspicuous birds. It is our one representative of a family most strongly developed in Africa.

While Kingfishers are cosmopolitan (world-wide in distribution), yet the Australian region contains far more of these beautiful birds than any other region. They are famous in legend and story, and we owe to them the expression, "halcyon days" (Gr. alkuon, a Kingfisher).

The great terrestrial Kingfishers, of which Australia has three species—the fourth being confined to New Guinea—are amongst the avine curiosities of Australia. Few birds are more famous than the Laughing Kingfisher (Jackass), first, on account of his gigantic size—hence his specific name, gigas—and, secondly, because of his laugh, which brightens many a gloomy, misty day in lonely country districts. Homesick travellers from foreign lands could only hear evil spirits laughing at their trials and loneliness, but, just as mountains, once thought ugly, are now considered beautiful, so other thoughts are now associated with the laugh of our remarkable Australian Kingfisher.

True to the law of representatives, Australia presents us with a beautiful representative of the Old World family of Bee-eaters. A writer has well said that there are "few so beautiful, and none so graceful." Its scientific name, ornatus, shows that our bird stands well amongst its fellows. One kind occasionally visits England (about thirty records in the last hundred years).

In the same order come the Goatsuckers, or Nightjars, wide-mouthed, swift-flying, insectivorous birds, which have an almost cosmopolitan range, being absent only from New Zealand and the Polynesian Islands. These Owl-like birds have very long wings, thus indicating their rapid flight. They are very valuable insect destroyers, though they are sometimes called "Night Hawks," and are shot by people who foolishly shoot hawks. Many destructive insects fly only at night, and these night-flying birds are a necessity to maintain the balance of Nature.

Swifts are cosmopolitan birds. One Swiftlet is world-famous on account of its saliva-built nest, which is the edible swallows' nest we used to read about. This bird occasionally visits Queensland. Two of the Australian birds breed in Japan. They are essentially creatures of the air; their long, pointed wings, shown much longer than the tail, indicate great speed. Gould said that a Swift might be hawking for insects over Victoria one hour, and over Tasmania the next hour; that is, it can cross Bass Strait in an hour. The spines at the end of the short tail feathers are thought to assist as a prop when the bird settles on a wall or a cliff face. In some Swifts the four toes point forward; this helps also in cliff clinging. Though so common in the upper air, Swifts have not, in Victoria, been recorded as having been seen to alight.

Most birds have hollow bones which are filled with air. It was claimed by those who like to find a use for everything that this was an obvious adaptation for purposes of flight, but when one reflects that, in some of the Ostrich and Emu group, the members of which never fly, the bones are strongly "pneumatic," while in Terns and Swifts, and some other flying birds, the bones are solid, one must hesitate before generalizing even about such an apparently obvious matter. Swifts are in no way related to Swallows, but are close to Humming Birds, which are born with a wide, Swift-like mouth.

Few birds have attracted more notice, or have been more written about, than Cuckoos. To dwellers in lands with a dreary winter, the Cuckoo heralds the spring, so its call is most welcome. Then, too, the mysteries connected with its upbringing have proved of interest to all Nature and bird lovers. Its call, "Cuckoo," aptly described as the "most imitable of bird calls," has also assisted in making the bird a favorite.

The Pallid Cuckoo belongs to the same genus as the well-known Cuckoo of England. It also resembles that bird in appearance. Its note, however, is quite different. At times it seems to be endeavoring to run up a chromatic scale, so, in some districts, it is called the Scale Bird. At other times, after three running notes, it repeats one note strongly. So persistent is it in calling that it is called in places the Brain-fever Bird. Last September, in Castlemaine, it called all night in the street trees. Few, however, seemed to notice it, and fewer still knew what was uttering the persistent call.

Possibly other birds recognize the Cuckoo as an enemy, or possibly its remarkable superficial resemblance to a Hawk causes birds to chase it. However, in some cases, possibly, the male Cuckoo does not object to being chased. He draws the birds away, while the female Cuckoo quietly places an egg in a convenient nest, and retires unmolested.

The Fan-tailed or Ash-colored Cuckoo is not so conspicuous, as it keeps to more secluded places, and is a solitary bird. Its flight is heavy and labored. It also has a habit of elevating and lowering its tail several times both before and after flight. Its frequent, plaintive, trilling note often reveals its presence, which would otherwise be overlooked.

The Brush Cuckoo is rare. In fact, considerable difficulty was experienced in obtaining a specimen for the photograph above, as there was no named specimen in the National Museum. Thanks to Messrs. Kershaw and French, the difficulty was at last overcome.

The Bronze Cuckoos are very similar. They will be immediately recognized by the under-surface barred brown and white, and the golden-green or bronze lustre of the dark back. The New Zealand Bronze-Cuckoo migrates from N.E. Australia and New Guinea. Apparently it sometimes migrates down the East Coast, instead of to New Zealand.

The Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo has a narrower bill, and the centre tail feathers are brownish-chestnut at the base. While the birds are so similar, their eggs are quite unlike. The Bronze Cuckoo lays a bronze egg, generally in dome-shaped or covered nests. It is sometimes found in Tits' nests. The Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo has a red-speckled egg, which is placed often in an open or cup-shaped nest.

The last Cuckoo—the Channel-bill—is one of the largest of Cuckoos. It is a northern bird, which very rarely reaches the southern part of the continent. Its large bill is characteristic. Its tail is large, and often spread out fanwise, thus giving a majestic appearance to the bird. Its call is not pleasing, as it is described by Gould as a "frightful scream," and again as consisting of "awful notes." It lays its eggs sometimes in the nest of a Sparrowhawk (not Kestrel), or in the nest of a Magpie, Bell-Magpie (Strepera), or even of a Crow. It appears with the first flood-waters, and follows the rivers from the Gulf of Carpentaria watershed down to Cooper's Creek and Lake Eyre.

One large Australian Cuckoo builds its own nest, and rears its own young. This bird, however, does not visit Southern Australia.

In addition to the interest of their habits and life history, Cuckoos are amongst the most valuable of insectivorous birds. Few birds will eat the vine caterpillar or hairy caterpillar. The Cuckoos, however, are very fond of these, and so should be encouraged. They do no harm to anything we need.

One of the most interesting birds in the world is the Lyre Bird, whose beautiful tail, alas, often brings early death to its rightful owner. There are three species of these birds, found only in the mountainous parts of South-eastern Australia, and as far as Wide Bay, in Southern Queensland. Two of the species are found in New South Wales and Southern Queensland, while the third is found in Victoria. Though these beautiful birds are supposed to be protected, hundreds of their tails are sold annually in London.

The Lyre Bird is responsible for the statement that Australia possesses "Wrens as large as peacocks," whereas most Wrens are very small. However, the Lyre Bird is not now classed with Wrens. In all its ways, the Lyre Bird is of interest. Its dancing mounds, its large domed nest, containing but one egg, and its remarkable mimicking powers have frequently been written about. Dr. Sharpe has lately placed the Lyre Birds in an Order by themselves—Order XX.

Gould considered the Lyre Bird the most shy of birds, for he spent days in the forest gullies surrounded by them, but though he was entertained by their many and varied calls, he caught no sight of a bird. The wonderful tail is not attained until the male bird is four years old. It is unique, and is the most beautiful tail ornament worn by any bird. Dr. Newton hoped that "so remarkable a form as the Lyre Bird, the nearly sole survivor, apparently, of a very ancient race of beings, will not be allowed to become extinct—its almost certain fate, so far as can be judged—without many more observations of its manners being made, and fuller details of them placed on record." Australians please note. You alone can assist by collecting facts and recording reliable observations. Bird-lovers hope that the Lyre Bird will be successfully established in the National Park, Wilson's Promontory, where some have already been placed, and so be preserved for future generations. Its large, domed nest is usually placed on the ground, and the large single egg (or the young one) is often taken by the fox. Further, its natural haunts—dense forest scrubs—are being rapidly cleared, so that the bird is doomed, except in special sanctuaries.

The Lyre Bird is now generally acknowledged to be the prince of mocking birds. It mimics clearly all bush noises, the chopping of trees, sawing of logs, barking of dogs, clucking of hens, the singing of native birds. Its dancing mounds are interesting. Near one of these mounds, on the Upper Snowy River, in the wild cherry scrub, we observed a nest at a height of about thirty feet from the ground.

Australians! you owe it to mankind in general to see that the protection supposed to be given to the Lyre Bird is a reality. Recently, after passing a lady much bedecked with Bird of Paradise plumes, I thought it was fortunate the Lyre Bird's tail was too large for a lady's hat. Imagine my surprise when, at the next street corner (Collins and Spring Streets), I met a lady with a Lyre Bird's tail stuck through her head-dress. However, I have seen no other tail used for such a purpose.

In America the Audubon Society has done splendid work by disseminating knowledge about American birds, and arousing public interest in the value of birds. There, also, thorough scientific investigation has been made of the value of insect-eating and seed-eating birds. It has been stated, as the result of full research, that one wild pigeon, in whose crop over 7000 weed seeds were found, was as efficacious in destroying weeds as two farm laborers.

It is to be noted that no less an agricultural authority than Professor Gilruth, of the Veterinary School, Melbourne University, has given it as his deliberate opinion that the Australian farmer would find life impossible without the aid of the detested Sparrow as a weed destroyer. This is the judgment of a man whose opinion is worthy of serious consideration.

It is open to serious doubt if it pays commercially to kill indiscriminately any kind of bird found on this continent. It may, of course, happen that one individual bird has learnt where to get an easy food supply at the expense of a farmer or orchardist. Such a bird could be kept away. To kill birds at all times, because of the damage done by a few at a particular time, is foolish.

On the lines of the American Audubon Society, the Gould League of Bird Lovers has recently been established. Just as Audubon was the great father of American ornithology, so "John Gould, the bird man," was the father of Australian ornithology. Hence his name has been associated with this movement to save our birds. The movement is progressing by leaps and bounds.

The Victorian branch has a very large body of members, about 40,000 certificates having already been issued to adults and children. Tasmania has a branch in full operation. In South Australia bird clubs are doing excellent work, especially amongst the young people, and Queensland and New South Wales bird-lovers have taken active steps to develop the movement in their States. A Bird Day, by order of the Minister of Education, Hon. A. A. Billson, and the Director, Mr. F. Tate, was observed in Victorian schools in 1909 and 1910, with gratifying results. Bird-nesting, for the collection of eggs, has practically wholly disappeared from our schools, while at most country schools native birds can be seen nesting on the school grounds, the children keeping observation notes of nesting and feeding habits of the birds as part of their work in Nature-study. What study is of greater economic importance to this wealthy, though occasionally insect-troubled, land?

Order XXI.—Perching-Birds—contains 11,500 species, more than three-fifths of the world's 19,000 birds. As Perching-Birds (Passeres) are still undergoing evolution, connecting links still live, so that it is very difficult to divide the Perching Birds into well-defined families. Sharpe has divided them into sixty-one families, but, for several of these, no exact characters that exclude other birds can be assigned, so that some of these, at least, are "not worthy of family rank." However, Sharpe's classification represents the latest thought of scientists on this difficult matter, so it must be adopted here.

This large order of birds is divided into two sub-orders:—

1. Songless Perching-Birds, made up mainly of South American birds, though two families are included that are represented in the Australian region—viz., Pittas (Pittidae) and New Zealand Wrens (Xenicidae).

2. Song-Birds.

Birds of the second division are again divided into two:—A.: Abnormal Song-Birds. B.: Normal Song-Birds.

The first group, Abnormal Song-Birds, comprises only the two remarkable Scrub-Birds (Atrichornithidae) of Australia. One of these inhabits West Australian scrubs only, while the other inhabits East Australian (Richmond River) scrubs only.

The breast bone and the muscles of the voice apparatus are unusual. These birds are about the size of a thrush, and form "one of the most curious ornithological types of the many furnished by that country" (Australia).

So far, no female bird has been examined, and little is known about these remarkable, noisy, scrub-haunting birds.

The remaining forty-eight "families" of birds belong to the Normal Song-Birds. It is interesting to note that Australia contains representatives of twenty-nine families of Song-Birds. Representatives of but nineteen families have been recorded from Britain. The Indian Empire, including Burmah and Ceylon, contains representatives of twenty-two families, North America, also, of twenty-two families, while in South America twenty-three families are represented in this highest division of birds.

Again, while only 89 Song-Birds have been recorded as permanent residents of, or regular visitors to, Britain, almost 500 species of Song-Birds have, so far, been recorded from Australia and Tasmania. Of these, 157 have been recorded from Victoria, and are illustrated in this volume. And yet, we are told, this is a land of songless birds.

Swallows have always attracted much notice, perhaps, because of their airy play when enjoying themselves after their long migration flight. It is very difficult to realize that Cuvier and most scientists of one hundred years ago believed that Swallows hibernated by burying themselves in the mud in the bottom of lakes and pools. It is interesting to note, in Gilbert White's Natural History of Selborne, the growing doubt concerning this belief; but, as it was supported by apparently good authority, he is cautious. Fuller observation shows that there are well-marked lines of migration, so that the European Swallow migrates sometimes even as far as South Africa, and the Swallows of North Asia are said to migrate even to Australia. However, in our winterless clime, migration is not complete, and this year (1910) there was probably little migration of Swallows. As Swallows are such rapid fliers, and spend much of their time on the wing, it is not a matter of surprise to find that they have spread the world over, except to New Zealand, though Tree Swallows are said to reach even that distant land occasionally.

The Australian members of the Swallow family present very different nesting habits. While the Welcome Swallow builds the well-known cup-like mud nest, the rare White-backed Swallow drills a two-inch hole into a bank for two or three feet, and there builds its nest. The Tree Martin (Swallow), on the other hand, makes no nest, but lays its eggs on leaves placed on the rotten wood in the hollow of a tree. The Fairy Martin builds a long, bottle-shaped mud flask, under a bridge, or a ledge, and so is sometimes called the Bottle or Retort Swallow. Wood-Swallows and Swifts do not belong to the Swallow family.

The Flycatcher family is a large one, nearly 700 species being accepted by Dr. Sharpe. More than half of these are restricted to the Australian region.

The Brown Flycatcher is almost as common as the Willie Wagtail (Black and White Fantail). The white feather on each side of the tail is a valuable guide, though the Groundlark also has this. So often does it sit on fence posts looking at the passer-by that it has been called the "Post-Sitter." Its Sydney name, Jacky Winter, is less formal than Brown Flycatcher—a name which is already in use for another bird.

The Robin Redbreast of Britain is regarded with affection by all English children. That feeling has been transferred to the externally slightly similar "Robin Redbreasts" of this country, though they are not at all related to the British Robins. Redbreast is really the name of the English bird, and Robin is perhaps a term of endearment added to the name Redbreast. While the British bird has a rufous breast, the Australian birds have a scarlet breast, and are much handsomer birds. The British Robin is now placed in the Thrush family.

Once given to members of this family, the name Robin has been adopted for related birds that have no red—e.g., the black and white Hooded Robin, and the Tasmanian Dusky Robin. The Shrike Robins belong to the Shrike family, so they need not be mentioned here. The Scrub Robin of the inland dry scrubs belongs to the same family as the Coachwhip Bird and the Babbler.

The Fantails and some, at least, of the Flycatchers proper are known to all. Who does not know and admire the plucky, though fussy Black and White Fantail (Willie Wagtail), as it drives a cat or a dog away from the vicinity of its nest, or as it waits impatiently about the mouth of a grazing cow or horse, or as it expresses its opinion of itself in the melodious "sweet, pretty creature," heard even late on moonlight nights? The friendly White-shafted Fantail is almost as well known, as it flits about a camp or catches flies near some water-course.

At the Summer School, a Fantail spent some time each day in the dining-tent. The beautiful Rufous Fantail is just as tame, but is not quite so common. The nests of the White-shafted and Rufous Fantails are things of beauty. The long wine-glass stem is said by some to serve to drain the water away down from the nest, or as a means of carrying the eye down from the nest itself, so that it is seldom seen, or as a balance, so that the nest is not tilted too far in windy weather.

The Scissors Grinder, or Restless Flycatcher, is very much like a Black and White Fantail, but the throat is white, while that of the Fantail is black. The Grinder is often mentioned in popular books on bird-life, on account of its peculiar scissors-grinding note uttered while hovering in search of insects.

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