about the eucalyptus trees which are in blossom at present. I was spading my garden in which is growing a small acacia tree when suddenly one bird came buzzing about the blossoms of the tree and finally slight not over two feet from my hand. Suddenly another bird appeared upon the beam. With a "squawk" very similar to, of course with less volume, that of the Black -crowned Night Heron it descended from a height of 100m perhaps even two feet it almost perpendicularly to where the other bird was sitting then executing with only a slight curve at the bottom of its descent a return movement it poised about 15' above the other bird for a few seconds only to rise almost perpendicularly to its dizzy height to again execute its parachute-like drop again.