448 BIRDS 0¥ AUSTRALIA. 



those of Ptilonorhynclius. I allude more particularly to their 

 bowers or playing-places, which are of no great size in the 

 former case, but here attain their maximum so far as is 

 known. These extraordinary playing-places have been a 

 source of much speculation, and by some persons have been 

 considered to be made by the Aborigines as cradles for their 

 children ; but it is now known that they are places of resort 

 for both sexes of these birds at that season of the year when 

 nature prompts them to reproduce their kind. Here the 

 males meet and contend with each other for the favours of 

 the females, and here also the latter assemble and coquet 

 with the males. These highly decorated halls of assembly 

 must, therefore, be regarded as the most wonderful instances 

 of bird-architecture yet discovered. Those of my readers 

 who are not acquainted with these curious structures will do 

 well to refer to the drawings of them in the folio edition, for 

 no description, however accurate, can convey an adequate 

 idea of them. The bowers must not be confounded with 

 their nests, which are made in the ordinary way among the 

 branches of trees, and, as far as we yet know, assimilate very 

 closely in size and form to that of the Jay of Europe, Garruhis 

 glandarius, 



Sp. 278. CHLAMYDODERA NUCHALIS. 

 Great Bower-bird. 



Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis, Jard. and Selb. 111. Orn., vol. ii. pi. 103. 

 Calodera nuchalis, Gould, Syn. Birds of Australia, part i. 

 Chlamyder-a nuchalis, Gould, Birds of Australia, 1837, part i. cancelled. 

 Chlamydodera nuchalis, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 212. 



Chlamydera nuchalis, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. iv. pi. 9. 



This fine species was first described and figured in the 

 " Illustrations of Ornithology," by Sir William Jardine and 

 Mr. Selby, from the then unique specimens in the collection 

 of the Linnean Society ; but neither the part of Austraha of 



