ly8 



NLsrS AND EGGS OF AUSTHALIAN BlRDJi. 



fourteen feet from the ground. The tree was only four inches in diameter, 

 and was iu a jungle of hght scrub, about fifty yards from the edge of 

 open coimtry. I felled the tree and secui-ed the nest." 



A fine figiue of the uest is given in the Records. 



From Mr. Lau's manuscript notes I take : — 



" The name Cat Bird is derived from its lamentable noise, not unlike 

 that of a cat, but more that of a ciying child. In the dense scrub at 

 Cooyar, a little south of the Buuya Mountains, the oft-repeated sound 

 was aggravating to me, so, when I could get a gUmpse of the bird, a gun- 

 shot made an cud to raj' ghastly neighboui'. It was in November. 1886. 

 at Cimningham's Gap, where I happily found a nest five feet from the 

 groimd, between the triple fork of a young tree, and an exquisite nest it 

 was. Half-way up from the bottom consisted of dry fig-leaves, beautifully 

 fastened with twining rootlets, and stronger ones from the rim, and lined 

 with di'y grass and roots. Finding only one egg in it, I waited for two 

 days more, when there were two. I concluded such to be the clutch. 

 Although it is said that the Cat Bird makes a bower, I never saw one of 

 its own, but several times have seen it poldng about the bower of the 

 Satin Bird." 



Breeding months include from about the middle of September to 

 January. 



162. — Chlamydeea maculata, Gould. — (279) 

 SPOTTED BOWER BIRD. 



Figure — Gould ; Birds of Australia, fol., vol. iv., pi. 8. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vi., p. 389. 



Previous Descriptions 0/ Eggs. — Ramsay: P.Z.S., p. 605 (1874); Proc. 

 Linn. See, N.S. Wales, vol. vii. (1882), also vol. i., new ser., 

 pi. 19, fig I ; Campbell : Southern Science Record (18S3) ; 

 North ; Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S. Wales, vol. i., 2nd series, 

 p. 1157 (1886), also Austn. Mus. Cat , pi. 11, fig. 5 ; Campbell; 

 Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc, Edin., vol. xiv , p 23 (1898). 



Geographical Distribution. — Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, 

 and South Australia. 



^e^f. — Flat, somewhat concave ; loosely constructed of dead twigs or 

 fine sticks; lined inside with finer t^vigs and grass; usually situated in a 

 thick bush or tree in open forest country. Sometimes the nest is so frail 

 that the contents may be seen through the structiu'e from underneath. 

 Dimensions over all of a good nest, 9 to 10 inches by 6 inches in depth; 

 egg cavity, 4 inches across by 2 inches deep. 



Eggs. — Clutch, two, occasionally three ; shape inclined to oval, or long 

 oval ; textui-e of shell fine ; sui-face slightly glossy ; groimd-colour light 

 greenish-yellow. There are three distinct characters of markings, fitrstly, 

 Ught-greyish blotches appearing on the inner siuiace of the shell ; secondly, 



