2o6 NESTS A.VD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



Again the same correspondent favours me ; — " I very often come across 

 tlicir plaj-ing-bowers. Two years ago they built .a very fine one on the 

 roof of the verandah of this house. I was not living here then, but have 

 often seen the birds playing about it, and amongst the branches of two 

 large poinciana trees which droop right over the roof.' 



As might be expected, the eggs of the Queensland Bower Bird possess 

 the remarkable characteristics of those of the Spotted Bower Bird. During 

 the season 1895, Mr. Charles French (through his worthy father, 

 Mr. Charles French, F.L.S.) experienced a windfall which gave collectors 

 a pleasant surprise, two pairs of handsome eggs, collected during August 

 in the vicinity of the Gregory River, reaching Mr. French's collection. 

 With thoughtful kindness, Mr. French at once divided the ."second pair 

 between his old friend Mr. G. A. Keartland and myself. 



Mr. A. J. North, of the Australian Museum, Sydney, happened shortly 

 afterwards to visit Melbourne. He was also surprised to see that the 

 fine eggs had been " over carried " — that is, past Sydney. But he was not 

 to be outdone in the matter of the first description. He had (and I com- 

 mend him for his astuteness) three out of the four eggs described, and 

 two of them figured in the " Victorian Naturalist," almost before the 

 owners were cognisant of the fact. 



In the season of 1896, Mr. E. Cornwall found a nest containing two 

 eggs of the Queensland Bower Bird. The nest, which was placed in a 

 small river "oak" (1 Casuarina ) in a Uttle scrub composed of the same 

 trees, on the bank of Canal Creek, a tributary of the Ahce River, veiy 

 much resembled that of the Butcher Bird (Cradicus), but was much 

 less strongly built ; in fact, so loosely was it put together that 

 Mr. Cornwall says it fell to pieces when he endeavoured to remove it. 



In November, the same season, my friend, Mr. D. Le Souef, found a 

 nest of this fine Bower Bird in open foi-est in the Bloomfield River 

 district. Tlie nest was at the height of twelve feet from the gi'ound, near 

 the end of a hoiizontal eucalyptus branch, and contained one egg. Near 

 the same locality he had the opportunity of examining and photograpliing 

 a bower which was situated luider a low, thick bush. The avenue was 

 about two feet in length, and five inches wide ; the parallel walls, which 

 nearly touched each other at the top, were about fourteen inches high 

 by about five inches through then- thickest part. There was a fair heap of 

 bleached bones at either entrance. 



166. CuL.\MYDEnA CERVINIVENTRIS, Gould. (281) 



FAWN-BREASTED BOWER BIRD. 



Figure.— GoulA; Birds of Australia, fol., supp., pi 36 



Reference. — Cat, Birds Brit. Mus., vi., p. 393. 



Previnns Descriptions 0/ Eggs. — North: Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S. Wales. 



2nd ser , vol. i , p'ii6o (1886), also Austn. Mus. Cat., pi. 11. 



fig. 4 (1889). 



Gengrnphiml Dintrihiitidii. — North Queensland; also New Guinea. 



