70 



THE OSPEEY. 



twig's being- so arranged as to curve inwards 

 and nearly meet at the top: in the interior the 

 materials are so placed that the forks of the 

 twigs are always presented outwards, by whicli 

 arrangement not the slightest obstruction is of- 

 fered to the ])assage of the birds. The interest 

 of this curious bower is much enhanced by the 

 manner in which it is decorated with the most 

 g-aih'-coloured articles that can be collected, 

 svich as the blue tail-feathers of the Rose-hill 

 and Pennantian Parrakeets, bleached bones, 

 the shells of snails. &c.; some of the feathers 

 are inserted among- the twigs, while others with 

 the bones and shells are strewed about near the 

 entrances. The propensity' of these birds to 

 fly ofl" with any attractive object, is so well 

 known to the natives, that they always search 

 the runs for any small missing article that may 

 have been accidentally dropped in the brush. I 

 myself found at the entrance of one of them a 

 small neatly-worked stone tomahawk, of an 

 inch and a half in length, together with some 

 slips of blue cotton rags, which the birds had 

 doubtless picked up at a deserted encampment 

 of the natives. 



"It has now been clearly ascertained that these 

 curious bowers are merely sporting-places in 

 which the sexes meet, and the males display 

 their finery, and exhibit many remarkable 

 actions; and so inhei-ent is this habit, that the 

 living examples, which have from time to time 

 been sent to this covtntry, continue it even in 

 captivity. Those belonging to the Zoological 

 Society have constructed their bowers, decorat- 

 ed and kept them in repair, for several succes- 

 sive years. 



These bowers and pla^dng grounds are pre- 



log, the ground being strewn with moss, flow- 

 ers, yellow and blue Lory parrot's feathers, 

 small bones, and snail. houses, for about a yard 

 in diameter. In the uiiddie is erected a bower 

 about 18 inches in height. When completed, 

 several birds of both sexes run round and 

 throug-h the archway or avenue, picking up, in 

 their joy, some of the nesting (? bower) mate- 

 rials and tossing them about, and we may gtiess, 

 in their own way, choose partners." 



The manner in which the structures are built 

 up was noticed in a letter received from the late 

 F. Strange bj' John Gould, in which'he says: 



'My aviary is now tenanted by a pair of Sat- 

 in-birds, which lor the last two month.s have 

 been constantly engag^ed in constructing bow- 

 ers. Both sexes assist in their erection, but the 

 male is the principal workman. At times the 

 male will chase the female all over the aviary, 

 then go to the bower, pick up a gay feather or a 

 large leaf, utter a curious kind of note, set all 

 his feathers erect, run round the bower, and be- 

 come so excited that his eyes appear ready to 

 start from his head, and he continues opening 

 first one wing and then the other, uttering a 

 low whistling note, and like the domestic Cock, 

 seems to be picking np something from the 

 ground, until at last the female goes gently to- 

 wards him, when, after two turns round her, he 

 suddenl3' makes a dash, and the scene ends.' " 



NEST .\NI) EGGS. 



It mttst be distinctly understood that the 

 bowers or play-grounds have nothing whatever 

 to do with the nests. The nests are built far 

 awa}' and generally in a tree at some lieight 

 fi'om the ground. Thev are difficult to find and 



Nest of Satin Bower-bird 

 Reduced from Proceedings of the Royal Phyjsical Society. 



pared for courtship aiid as a preliminary' to 

 nesting. Mr. Hermann Lan communicated to 

 Mr. Campbell the following note respecting the 

 operations of the Satin Bower- Bird. 



"Before nesting begins, the birds build up a 

 play-ground (bower). The finest bowers are 

 nearly in all cases on the sunny side of a lying 



(Tould was unable to learn anything about 

 them. He says — 



"I reg-ret to state, that althoug-h I have used 

 my utmost endeavours, I could never discover 

 the nest and eg'gs of this species, neither could 

 I obtain anj' authentic information respecting 

 them, either from the natives or the colonists." 



