Chap. XIII. DECORATION. 71 



Great Bower-bird, which was seen "amusing itself by 

 " flying backwards and forwards, taking a shell alter- 

 " nately from each side, and carrying it through the 

 " archway in its mouth." These curious structures, 

 formed solely as halls of assemblages, where both sexes 

 amuse themselves and pay their court, must cost the 

 birds much labour. The bower, for instance, of the 

 fawu -breasted species, is nearly four feet in length, 

 eighteen inches in height, and is raised on a thick 

 platform of sticks. 



Decoration. — I will first discuss the cases in which the 

 males are ornamented either exclusively or in a much 

 higher degree than the females ; and in a succeeding 

 chapter those in which both sexes are equally orna- 

 mented, and finally the rare cases in whi(;h the female is 

 somewhat more brightly-coloured than the male. As with 

 the artificial ornaments used by savage and civilised men, 

 so wdth the natural ornaments of birds, the head is the 

 chief seat of decoration.^" The ornaments, as mentioned 

 at the commencement of this chapter, are wonderfully 

 diversified. The plumes on the front or back of the 

 head consist of variously-shaped feathers, sometimes 

 capable of erection or expansion, by which their beauti- 

 ful colours are fully displayed. Elegant ear-tufts (see 

 fig. 39 ante) are occasionally present. The head is 

 sometimes covered with velvetv down like that of the 

 pheasant ; or is naked and vividly coloured ; or supports 

 fleshy appendages, filaments, and ^olid protuberauces. 

 The throat, also, is sometimes ornamented with a beard, 

 or with wattles or caruncles. Such appendages are 

 generally brightly coloured, and no doubt serve as 



^^ See remarks to this effect, on the " Feeling of Bt auty among 

 Animals," by Mr. J. Shaw, in the ' Athenaeum/ Nov. 24th, 186G, p. 681. 



