Vo'j-gXXi.-j \T'P>IJXG, The Satin Boivcr Bird. 15 



about, with wings slightly raised. When in a tree he continue-l 

 repeating a rather nasal "hwaa." In another instance he sat 

 on a log, four feet awa\, absorbed in meditation, giving only an 

 occasional unconcerned glance, when I could once more at close 

 quarters admire his beautiful eyes and glossy ])lumage, as 

 smooth and sleek as the skin of a seal; or, in a certain light, the 

 ])lumitge would appear of a dull, lustreless dark blue, with some 

 still darker stripes. ilis beak is of a rather light yellowish or 

 whitish-green, not unlike that of the blossoms he is so fond ol. 

 One of the male's notes sounds exactly like the tone produced by 

 holding a leaf between the lips, and blowing air through. 



The birds of l^oth l)owers siiow a decided |)rcierencc for lilue 

 and yellownsh-green, as regards their decorations, the only ex- 

 ceptions being perhaps the brownish snail shells, yellowish-brown 

 Cicada larval shells, and the more olive green pu It-balls. A 

 thing of another colour is, as a rule, rejected. I do not intend 

 to generalise from this, but. whereas in nearly all descriptions 1 

 have read of playgrounds, it is implied that anything bright is 

 regarfied by the Satin Bower-Bird as a fit object for collection, 

 my observations so .far do not bear out this contention. As an 

 instance. I may mention the prompt rejection of a piece of shin- 

 ing tinfoil j)laceil on the platform, and that with signs of disap- 

 I>roval. 1 may here also draw attention to the two Satins' par- 

 tiality to two kinds of leaves. I have not found any bones on 

 the ]:)iavgrounds. .\ female Satin was also noticed, and some 

 <|uaint sounds were heard, when the blue-black and th-e green v-.ere 

 together. After lo a.m. we moved into the jungle, with its tower- 

 ing trees, with straight, smooth or slightly rough-barked trunks. 

 Whether they are in bloom or fruit one cannot make out from 

 below. They form a shady canopy, an upper world of their 

 own, in which grow birds-nest, elkhorn, and staghorn ferns, 

 sometimes of enormous size. One single, fallen, rotting clump of 

 the first-named measured over 6 feet across. Undergrowth is 

 practically absent, except where some trunk has fallen, and a 

 small clearing has been formed, in which many kinds of ferns arc 

 found, and the slender stems of young trees and vines shoi^t ui). 



Everywhere vines and creepers grow on the trunks and hang 

 down in long ropes, up to 4 inches and more in thickness. Seen 

 from across the river, this jungle, or brush, forms only a narrow 

 l-elt. practically confined to tlie eastern side of the river, and 

 looking like a huge green screen or cliff wall, standing in front 

 of the steep hillside. Here and there a bangalow palm stands 

 out from this background, or a slender, straight stemmed, grace- 

 ful, palm li'ke tree, whose name l\Ir. J. H. Maiden gave me as 

 Ticghe mo Panax Mnrrayi. and in one place a picturesc|ue tree, 

 the native name of which I believe is Merring-arra. Several 

 of the Tieghemvpanax grow near the bower, and the Satins are 

 occa.sion?]ly in them. An .Inindo, belonging to the. grasses. 



