N£STS AXD ILCG^i 01- AUSTXALIAN BIRDS. 



203 



Olisrrvatiuiis. — Goiild was indebted to Mr. F. T. Gregory, the West 

 Australian explorer, for the lirst specimen of tliis little-knowu species from 

 North-west Austi'alia. 



Tlic bird is spotted, like C. nuicii/ntu, Ijul diU'ei-s in the guttations of 

 the upper surface being larger in size and more distinct, the abdomen 

 being bulT, and the shafts of the primaries a ncher yellow. Subsequently, 

 Sturt, on his trans-contiiicutal journey, met with the bird, and lately (1894) 

 the Guttated Bower Bird was again reported in Central Australia by the 

 Horn Scieutilic Expedition. 



A valued corresiKjndeut, Mr. Tom Carter, found a Bower Bird near 

 the North-west Cape, which, I believe, is referable to this .species. 



In reference to this bird's supposed playing-bower, Gould quotes from 

 Sir George Greys "Travels." in wliich that author writes: — "This very 

 curious sort of ' nest,' which was frequently found by myself and other 

 individuals of the party, not only along the sea-shore, but in some instances 

 at a distance of six or seven miles from it, I once conceived must belong 

 to a kangaroo, until I was informed that it was a run or playing-place 

 of a species of Chlamydodera. These structures were formed of dead 

 grass and parts of bushes, sunk a slight depth into two parallel fun-ows in 

 sandy soil, and then nicely arched above. But the most remarkable fact 

 connected with them was that they were alwaj-s full of broken sea-shells, 

 large heaps of which protiiidcd from each extremity. In one instance, 

 in a bower the most remote from the sea that we discovered, one of the 

 men of the party found and brought to me the stones of some finiit which 

 had evidently been rolled in the sea; these stones he found lying in a 

 heap in the nest, and they are now in my possession." 



164. — Chl\myder.\ nuchalis, Jardine and Selby. — (278) 



GREAT BOWER BIRD. 



Figure— GonM : Birds of Australia, fol., \ol, iv p. 9. 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. vi , p. 391. 

 Previous Descriptions 0/ Eggs.—Le Souef : Ibis, p. 359 (1S99J, also 

 Victorian Naturalist, vol. xvi., p. 66 (1899). 



Geographical Dixtrihution. — Northern Territory and North-west 

 Australia. 



A'm/.— Open, lightly built of twigs and without lining. Dimensions 

 over all, 8 inches by 5 inches in depth ; egg cavity, 4 inches across by 

 2 inches deep. Usually situated at a height varying from ten to fifteen 

 feet above the ground, in a tree in open forest (Le Souef). 



Eggs. — Clutch, one, probably two ; inclined to oval in form ■, texture 

 fine ; siu-face glossy ; colour, gi-eyish-gi-een, moderately streaked and 

 smeared all over with olive-brown or umber, with underlying marks of 

 dull-gi-ey. Tlie singidar markings are short, and not 'so linear or hair-like 

 as seen in those of C iiuiciihita, or even in its near ally. C. orientahs. 

 Dimensions in inches: (1)— type— 1-8 x 1'18, (2) 1-69 x I'll, (3) 

 1-62 X 1 2. 



