Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-08-22
THROUGH FERN AND BUSH.
Graphic Description or Some OF the Queer
Sights In Australia.


zill4 in AN artice on tfpe magics of the
bush, and motioned me to do likewise
For few seconds l heard nothing.
then sharp and clear through the
silence rang the crack of long whip
and | expected to see some stock-rider.
or perhaps some strayed packman,
issue from the scrub. With quick
"Hush" my companion whispered TO
me that what l had heard was only the
''whip bird" and that what he wanted
me to see was Tyre bird. whose native
note he had heard a moment before
close at hand. Very shortly a some
what low but sweet burst of melody,
though within limited compass, came
from glade to the left. the greater
part of which was shreuded from sight
by intricate fern-tree growths; with
rapid transitions the song thereafter
rose and fell. now initiating the joyous
freedom of the magpio, now the laugh
ing gurgle of the jackass, now other
forest denizens. Again silence, and
then-right in the midst of the fern
glade-I saw for the first time bird j
had often heard of and which l was
anxious to see. The Tyre bird, or
mountain pheasant (Menura superba).
is.extremely shy and though by no means
rare in certain districts is thus com.
paratively seldom seen. In size il
very closely resembles the common
pheasant, and is OF an auburn-brown
color; but it would not be n specially
attractive bird were it not for the large
and delicately graceful tail-feathers,
which, when fully erected. exactly re-
semble the instrument after which the
bird is called. Like the shark. and
perhaps the cuckoo, the mountain
pheasant is generally accompanied by
satellite, in this instance the latter
being small, ierky little bird. popu.
larly called the "pheasant's mother
but none such was visible to our eyes
on this occasion. The whip bird, OF
coach-whip bird, referred to is gener-
ally heard in the scrub proper and has
received its name from its habit of end.
ing its loud cry or note with an abrupt
crack like that produced by the long
lash of stock-whip.
AS we rode on the sun grew higher
and higher in the heavens, and n grad.
ual silence crept through the forest with
the ripening noon. The scrub which
had lately been so full of lie appeared
to be deserted by its noisy dcnizens,
and only at rare intervals the nufiied
chuckle of the jackass broke the still.
ness. Ere long we came suddenly up
on rare sight in an Australian forest.
and few yards farther brought us
within the charmed circle, than which
/ have seen nothing Of the kind more
| lovely. Immediately before us Law
quiet pool, of an intense azure hue ut
! its center but with wide margins re-
! fleeing the green fern-tree fronds and
| all else howerv and beautiful that
grew near; fringng its edges with
great quantities of beautiful species
of iris; beyond, and forming a circular
wall. varying from five to eight or nine
| feet in height. were thick magnolias in
magnificent full bloom and whose de.
! licious fragrance made the air seem
heavy with sweetness; over these waved
the long, delicate green fonds of the
tree-ferns and shmmering acacia
sprays, while beyond a glimpse was
caught of the SUBMITS of the lofty
blue-gums darkly silhouetted against the
purple-blue sky. Not breath of wind
stirred leaf or flower; not sound was
! heard save faint, almost inaudible,
hum ut regular intervals, or an
occasional subdued rustle-as of
leaf falling to the ground or bird
drowsily shifting its position in the
dense green shade. Hark! what
was thatP Like a PARKWAY village bell
soft sound rings or rather swells
mellifluously through the still air. and
now another-a silyery tolling, ex.
quisitely impressive and even solemn
in these hushed and lonely solitudes.
Wonderfully and at first startlingly
strange as the illusion was had al.
ready fathomed that was listening TO
the bell "a no forest sanctuary, when
my friend whispered TO me: The bell
Bird" The solemnity of the noon
seemed to deepen, and the promised
vigor of the day 10 subside into n
luxurious dream. Having dismounted
and tied our horses to a tree, we be.
took ourselves to an hour or two's mid.
day rest, and as we lay below a huge.
spreading tree-fern lazily smoking, with
the scent of the maenolias in the warm
air, and the dreamy call of the distant
bell bird rising and falling ut solemn
intervals. we became drowsy. and
doubtless each INDUCED in good deal
of unspoken sentiment. If so. it GER
tainly did us no harm. From our rest.
ing-place on slope above tho pool we
could just see the blue line of distant
range rolling away northward, AMI be-
hind it some outlying summit of the
misty Bogongs
Morning and evening the Australian
forest is awake; ut noon it is asleep.
No greater contrast can he imagined
than between the morning hours and
those of midday in midsummer. In
the former the very flowers seem &c
possess an active existence. Myriads
of such. larger and more brilliant than
those va are accustomed to in our
northern attitudes, load the air with
the sweetest scents. At shutdown
again there is revival of life. but not
OF 50 cheerful disposition. The
iree-locusts in myriads shrek theit
deafening 'p-r-r-r-r-r"; drowsy opos.
sums snarl in the gum-holes. and locks
of cOckatoos scream as some great gray
kangaroo bounds past them like be.
lated ghost. II there is marshy ground