CHLAMYDODERA. 



55 



As will be seen by the accompanyin.i,' illustration, the bower is entirely arched over at the 

 top, and similar to one observed by Mr. Olive near ths Katharine River. 



Chlamydodera orientalis. 



EASTERN BOWER-BIRD. 

 Chlamydodera orienl'dU, Gould, Ann. k Mag. Nat. Hist, Ser. 5, Vol. IV., p. 71 (1879); id., Bds. 

 New (iuin.. Vol. I., pi. 4-t (1880); Sharpe, Cat. Bds. I3rit. .Mus., Vol. VI., p. 392 (1881); 

 North, Vict. Nat., Vol. XEI., p. 104 (189.^.). 

 Adult male— Genwrai coloii,r above dark bro/ni,, the ealhers of the iimiUU, hack, scapulars, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts margined ivllh asliy-uildte; primaries and secondaries dark brown, 

 externally edyed with ashy white, and tipped with white, the tips being larger and more conspicuous 

 on the inner secondaries: tail feathers dark brown, becoming blackish-brown towards the tips which 

 are dull white, the central pair being edged with ashy-broum and which decreases in extent 

 towards the lateral feathers : forehead and crown of the head blackish-brow a, all the feathers tipped 

 with silvery ivldte, these silvery-white tips extending out on to the feathers of the sides of the nape, 

 and partially surrounding a band of beautiful rose-lilac plumes : hind-neck ashy-broivn : lores, a 

 line of feathers above the eye, sides of the he-vl, neck, and throat aihy-browu : remainder of the 

 under surface ashy-brown loith a slightly creamy tinge ivhich is more distinct on the centre of the 

 abdomen; under tail coverts dull creamy-white, with narrow dusky-brown cross-bars: bill dark 

 broicn; leys and feet dark brown, tinged tvith olive: iris brown. Total length 12;5 inches, 

 wing 6 7, tail o'o, bill 115, tarsus I'S. 



Adult female— Similar in plumage to the adult male, but without any rose-lilac plumes on 

 the nape, which is ashy-brown, ivith silvery tips to the Jeathers, like the head. 



Distribution. — Northern and North-eastern Queensland. 

 ^-f^HIS species was separated by Ciould, in i^-qArom Chlamydodera nmhalis o{ the north- 

 J_ western coast, on account of having whitish tips to the feathers of the head, and broader 

 margins and tips to most of the feathers on the upper surface, giving it a mottled appearance. 

 These distinguishing characteristics are easily discernible when the two forms are compared. 

 According to the Hon. Walter Rothschild,- however, C. orientalis is not separable from 

 C. nuchalis, and does not merit even sul.specific rank. Although Mr. Rothschild has seen 

 in the British Museum "examples of both forms, together with a specimen almost intermediate, 

 all from one and the same locality," I cannot agree with that writer's conclusions. Immature 

 specimens of both sexes of C. orientalis. in the collection from Port Denison, and Kuranda near 

 Cairns, combine the characters of both species in having only the feathers in the centre of the 

 forehead and crown of the head distinctly tipped with white, and sides of the forehead and 

 sides of the head almost uniformly ashy-brown. In the large series of these birds now before 

 me, the distinguishing characters of C. orientalis, pointed out by Gould, are constant in adult 

 birds, and although undoubtedly both species are closely allied, I cannot but regard C. orientalis 

 as distinct and the representative of C. nuchalis in North-eastern Australia. 



In Dr. Ramsay's "Tabular List of Australian Birds," the geographical distribution of this 

 species is recorded as "Port Denison," from specimens collected there by INIr. George Masters 

 in June, 1863, and " Rockingham Bay" from examples in the Dobroyde Collection obtained 

 some distance inland from Cardwell. Since the publication of that work, however, in 1888, 

 our knowledge of the range of this species has been considerably extended, for we have now 

 specimens in the Reference Collection procured by Mr. J. Clarke in the open country on the 



* Nov. Zoo)., Vol. v., p. 86 (1898). 



