^'°|g„7-] Stray Feathers. 2 1 I 



I found last year on i6th October were only about two days 

 from hatching. 



Tooth-billed Bower-Bird {Scenopcsus dentirostris). — On 17th 

 September I found a playground of this bird about two hours' 

 walk from Hambledon Mill, and decided to spend some time, 

 later on, watching it, in hopes of getting some clue to the 

 position of the nest. So on 22nd October I seated myself near 

 the bower and watched the bird from 10 till 12. As his cries 

 seemed to be answered by another bird not far away, I then 

 followed the sound and found another playground about lOO 

 yards away, which I watched from 12 till 3. Only one bird was 

 at each bower, and as their antics were the same one 

 description will do for both. Throughout the time I watched 

 only one bird was at the playground, and he appeared to have 

 no interest in anything but his collection of leaves. He would 

 fly away occasionally for another leaf or some fruit, returning in 

 two or three minutes, when he would place the leaf in position, 

 upside down, have a look at the others to see if they were all 

 right — but at no time played with them— and then fly to a twig 

 about 8 feet above the leaves, and there perform ; but his 

 repertoire was very limited, his favourite number being the 

 harsh, scolding note of the Drongo {Chilna br'acteatn). 

 Occasionally he would imitate the Rifle- Bird and the Little 

 Thrush {Collyriocincla parvissiina), and he would frequently give 

 a short, piercing whistle, which seemed to be his natural call. 

 There is a mystery about these birds that will take some 

 explaining. How is it that throughout the three hours that I 

 watched him no other bird put in an appearance ? If the owner 

 of the playground had a mate, it seems strange that she did not 

 show herself. If his performance is to attract a mate, he is 

 certainly a most persevering but unfortunate suitor, as he has 

 been hard at it for two months to my knowlege, and the birds 

 are not scarce in the scrub about there, as I have seen them 

 several times. Perhaps liis mate was sitting, or he may have 

 been a confirmed old bachelor collecting leaves for a hobby. — 

 A. F. Smith. Hambledon, Cairns, 22nd November, 1905. 



Forgotten Feathers. 

 By James R. McCi.vmont, M.A., Hobart. 

 Australian Birds in the "Journal wegens een 



VOYAGIE NA IIET ONBEKENDE ZUID-LAND."*— In 1696 the 

 Governors of the Amalgamated Chartered Company, trading to 

 the Dutch East Indies, decreed that an expedition should be 

 despatched to search for missing vessels, especially for the 



* Extracts from the "Journal " are given in The Emu, vol. iv., pp. 22, 23. 



