weeks which generally intervene between the disappearance of accustomed
water reserves and the beginning of the wet season, with its
super-abundance, the metallic starlings have been wont to obtain
refreshment from a hollow far up a huge tea-tree, the supply in which
seemed to be inexhaustible. The tyrant's plea, necessity, ordained the
destruction of the never-failing tree, and now the starlings descend by
the hundred into the deep and shady ravine whence water is pumped, and
drink also from the cattle-trough and bathe therein with noise and
excitement of happy children on the beach. It is quite within the mark to
compute the starlings by the hundred. The trough is edged nearly all day
long by thirsty or dirty birds, while scores sit round among the shrubs
waiting turn and commenting on the frolics and splashings of others in
excitable tones. When, perhaps, there are but a poor dozen or so round
the trough, you may chance to see the birds in attitudes more varied than
those of Pliny's doves, and catch the shadows of burnished necks
darkening the water, as in that famous mosaic, and even the glistening
reflection of the red, jewel-like eyes. Other birds, with far less
assurance and shrill clamour than the lovely starlings, visit the trough
regularly and by the score. Two species of honey-eaters are seldom
unrepresented. The barred-shouldered dove, the spangled drongo, the noisy
pitta, the red-crowned fruit pigeon, the pheasant-tailed pigeon, are less
frequent visitors; and though the purple-breasted fruit pigeon--the most
magnificent of all--talks to his mate in coarse gutturals from the trees
above, he has not been seen actually drinking. So shy and furtive a bird
would choose his time for refreshment when there is little likelihood of
interruption. In the ravine there are often metallic starlings by the
dozen, and little green pigeons--for those domiciled come and go at all
hours of the day. Occasionally a sulphur-crested cockatoo comes sailing
down to the diminishing pool through interwoven leafage noiselessly as a
butterfly; but scrub fowls, scared by the apparition in white, scamper