went in its direction. As they neared the tree, two or three birds flew from it and settled in another tree a short distance away. They did not seem at all alarmed at the presence of Frank and Fred, and the latter remarked that the creatures were evidently allowed to go about unharmed. On their return to the station they told what they had seen and heard, and asked what were the birds that had so surprised them.
THE AUSTRALIAN BOWER-BIRD.
"Those were laughing-jackasses," was the reply; "or if you want another name for them, you may choose between 'giant kingfisher,' 'piping crow,' 'musical magpie,' or 'settler's clock.' The bird under consideration belongs to the kingfisher family, and is called by all these names, the last being given on account of the uproar he makes at noon, and thus tells the settler who does not carry a watch when the middle of the day is reached. Many people believe he destroys snakes; some of us are skeptical on this point, which has never been satisfactorily
