SCRNOPCEKTES. 



69 



/-f^HE Tooth-billed Bower-bird discovered by Inspector Johnstone in the scrubs of 

 J- the Sea-view Range in North-eastern Queensland in 1874, and described by Dr. 

 Ramsay in 1875, was for many years regarded as a rare species. Consequent, however, upon 

 a visit to the Bellenden Ker Range by Messrs. E. J. Cairn and R. Grant in 1887, who were 

 collecting on behalf of the Trustees of the Australian Museum, the collection was enriched by 

 twenty -stx specimens in various stages of plumage. Numerous examples were also obtamed 

 during their second visit to the same part of North-eastern Queensland in 1889. 



Dr. Elliot Coues has pointed out that the generic name of Sccnopccus, proposed by Dr. 

 Ramsay for the reception of this species, was preoccupied in Entomology by Agassiz in 1847. 

 Dr Coues has therefore substituted the name of Scawpa'cks dcniwostris for the Tooth-billed 

 Bower-bird. In habits this species appears to form a connecting link between the true bower- 

 builders and the Cat-birds. 



Mr Robt. Grant, Assistant Taxidermist m the Australian Museum, has furnished me with 

 the following information :-" I found the Tooth-billed Bower-birds freely distributed through- 

 out the scrubs in the mountain ranges of the Upper Russell, the Upper Mulgrave, and the 



Upper Barron Rivers. In the table-lands m the 

 neighbourhood of Boar Pocket and Lake Eicham, 

 about thirty miles from Cairns, they are the com- 

 monest birds in the bush. Usually I found them 

 feeding in the tall fig-trees, and fre(iuently in 

 company with the Spotted Cat-bird (Mlwcedtis 

 maculosns). They were seldom met with on the low- 

 lands, but on one occasion I shot a pair in a fig-tree 

 opposite Double Island, about three miles from tlie 

 coast. The play-ground of this species is formed by 

 clearing a space, from three to five feet across, of 

 all sticks and leaves, and placing thereon freshly- 

 gatliered large green leaves of one particular kind 

 of tree. These leaves averaged from forty or fifty 

 to a hundred or more in number, and on some of 

 the play-grounds I found a great accumulation of 

 dead leaves forming a ring around them, and in 

 several instances over a foot in height. These 

 •circus-rings," as we called them, were evidently 

 made by the birds throwing or scraping the withered leaves from the frequented portion of the 

 Xyground. Some are found amongst a dense undergrowth of young palms and '-vyer canes 

 othe s in open parts of the scrub. During my two trips I must have seen over a hundred of 

 em, but Lever found one except in the mountain ranges. These birds .--rdly assen^b^e 

 at the play-grounds early in the morning, and again in the afternoon. Usually three or four 

 bids wer seen playing about them, picking up the leaves and tossing them about or turning 

 tl m over; or gambohng and chasing one another. All the while another b-d perched n 

 bush ci;se by was pouring out its loud and melodious notes wic ar^ uttered ve^ 

 rapidly and continuously without intermission, for some considerable time. Tl e ea^ es are 

 r u ft th. nnt<.idp of the rinc^ all withered ones being placed on the 



thrown from the centre to the outside ot tne nn„, aadition 



edge of It. Fresh leaves are picked and used for their evolutions every day In addition 

 o ts rich and varied notes, it is also possessed of ventriloquial powers, -^ich render 1 

 xc edin.ly difficult to locate, even when singing near at hand. The -nten of h 

 exceeuui^iy , ■ 1 ,,;„„>; fruits berries and the remains of Coleopterous 



stomachs of those I examined contained various tiuits, oerries, au 



insects." 



TOOTll-BILLKD BOWER HI IID. 



