These glorious pigeons are but a few of the many birds that come to the tree with its millions of pink figs, and enliven the scene with soft notes and eager whistles.  Varied and fasciated honey-eaters, black and white, and Jardine’s caterpillar-eaters, the tiny swallow dicaeum, in a tight-fitting costume of blue-black and red (who must bruise and batter the fruit to reduce it to gobbling dimensions), the yellow white-eye (who pecks it to pieces), the white-bellied and the varied graucalus, the drongo, the shining calornis—­these and others have been included time after time in the one enumeration.

Cockatoos do not visit the fig-trees as systematically as might be expected.  When they come they waste almost as lavishly as the flying foxes at night, nipping off branchlets and dropping them after eating but two or three of the figs.

When the grey falcon soars overhead the birds display varied forms of strategy.  The inconspicuous pigeons crouch motionless but alert, their eyes fixedly following the circles of the enemy; the readily detected graucalus fly straight to a forest tree, whence there is a clear get-away; the companies of yellow white-eyes, with a unanimous note of alarm, dart into the jungle; the caterpillar-eaters and the honey-eaters, peering about, drop discreetly down among the lower branches, and silence prevails.

No serious heed is taken of the white-headed sea-eagle.  Though the fruit-eaters do not recognise the lordly fellow on the instant of his appearance, he may perch on the topmost branches of the tree to scrutinise the shallows, and they will resume their feasting and noise.  But a falcon is as a death’s-head, and alas! too often a sanguinary disturber of the peace, as the tufts of painted feathers tell.

AUSTRALIA’S HUMMING-BIRD

One of the most self-assertive of birds of the island is also one of the least—­the sun-bird (CINNYRIS FRENATA).  Garbed in rich olive green, royal blue, and bright yellow, and of a quick and lively disposition, small as he is, he is always before his public, never forgetful of his appearance, or regardless of his rights.  Feeding on honey and on insects which frequent honey-supplying flowers, the sun-bird is generally seen amid surroundings quite in keeping with the splendour of his plumage.  The best part of his life is passed among blossoms, and he seems to partake of their beauty and frailness.  The gold of the gin-gee, the reds of the flame-tree, the umbrella-tree, and of the single and double hibiscus are reflected from his shining feathers, as he flutters and darts among the blooms, often sipping on the wing after the habit of the humming-bird—­which he resembles even to the characteristic expansion of the tail feathers.  When in September the flame-tree is a dome of red, sun-birds gather by the score—­the gayest of all the revellers.  Uncommon length of bill enables them to probe recesses of flowers forbidden