NESTS AXl) Ei;GS of AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 2OI 



shy, as she would not come near. Later iii the day I foxuid iinother nest, 

 but it coutAinod thiee young half-fledgcd. This nest was in a brigalow 

 (species of acacia), about thirty-five feet from the ground." 



The note of the Si^otted Bower Bird is somewhat harsh and scolding. 

 But it is not generally known, nor has it been properly recorded, tliat 

 these birds are accomplished mocking creatures, as several of my bush 

 friends can attest. The Misses Macaulay, of " Bannockbum," Iliverina, 

 had one or two birds which, at certain seasons, regularly between ten 

 o'clock in the morning and two in the afternoon, used to visit the pepper 

 trees in the garden, where the birds were heard imitating the calls of tlie 

 noisy Miner ( M i/zafillui >. Magpie ( Gi/miimidiia J. the Raven, but not 

 quite .so hoarsely, ami Babblers ( Pomafoxtnmiis j : while the screech of 

 the Whistluig Eagle was so realistic as to cause a domestic hen and 

 chickens to fly for cover, although no bird of prey was nigh. The Bower 

 Bird also reproduces well the sound of a maul striking the splitter's wedge, 

 and otlier familiar sounds, such as the mewing of cats, barking of dogs, &c. 



Mr. G. H. Morton, of Benjeroop, relates an amusing experience re- 

 garding the mimicry of the Spotted Bower Bird. His neighboiu- had been 

 driving cattle to a given place, and on his way back discovered a nest 

 in a prickly needle-bush or hakea tree. In " threading " the needle 

 branches after the nest, he thought he heard cattle breaking through the 

 scrub, and the barking of dogs in the distance, and at once fancied his 

 cattle had broken away, but could see no signs of anything wrong. He 

 heard other pecuhar noises, and glancing at his dog, as much as to say, 

 " What does that mean .' he saw the sagacious animal, with his head partly 

 uptiuncd, eyeing a Bower Bird perched in the next tree. 



Although Gould has cleverly described the bower of tliis species, and, 

 moreover, succeeded in taking one to England, which is now in the British 

 Museum, and other authors have mentioned these wonderful stnictures, 

 without unnecessarily extending the present observations I may state that 

 during oui' memorable "flood" trip through Riverina, September, 1893, 

 Mr. J. Gabriel and I embraced the opportunity of examining on the Pine 

 Ridges six of the avenues or playing-gioimds — all apparently in use — 

 of the Spotted Bower Bird. Some of these singular structures we suc- 

 cessfully photogi-aphod. They were under bushes, usually the prickly 

 bm'saria, and consisted of a pair of parallel walls of sticks, grass, &c., 

 stuck into the ground on end, and heaped about with bones, cliiefly placed 

 about either entrance. 1 give details of three of these bowers, which may 

 be taken as types. 



1. Under a clump of biu-saria bushes, with tliistles and other vege- 

 tation growing near — platform or approach larger at one entrance. Space 

 immechatcly around the bower and centre of avenue-like walk composed of 

 dead twigs, well trampled down. Exterior portion of walls composed of 

 twigs ; interior side of walls composed of yellowish gi'ass stalks, with the 

 seedling parts uppennost. Number of bones — leg bones, ribs, and ver- 

 tebrae of sheep — ninety at one entrance, ninety-two at the opposite. Inside 

 the bower were twenty-four bones. Other decorations inside and round 

 about were — pieces of glass, twenty -foiu" ; hakea seeds, thirty ; quondong 

 ( Santahim) seeds, four; and green pine branchlets, two. 



