16 XUI5LIXG. The Sati)i Bozi'cr Bird. 



1st July 



}jro\\s to a great height, and may lie seen putting its blades 

 tlirough the thick foliage near the tops even of the large trees. 

 This brush is the favourite home of the Satin Bower- Bird and 

 Catbird, the trees there oflfering them a varied supply of fruits, 

 as. for instance, the plum-like fruit of Achras {Sidcroxylon) 

 otisfralis, occasionally found on the ground. 



Behind the jungle the sandstone hills rise steeply, and plant 

 life almost at once begins to change its character. This a])plies 

 al.s(i to the eastern side of the river. Along the river and creeks 

 lillipilly trees. Sassafras. El(Bocarpus. Callicoina, and many 

 other> grow in profusion, wattles only on the other side in the 

 more open places. The description of bird-life in the jungle 

 may be left for another occasion. 



.-\bout 3 o'clock we returned to bower No. 2, where we 

 noticed the blue-black Satin chasing oflf another dark male that 

 had apparently tres])assed on the former's property. Fresh blue 

 Dianclla tl(Avers and new Cicada larval shells were on the plat- 

 form. 



On Saturday, Otli November, coming from Waterfall Station, 

 r lirst heard the Satinbirds at the Causeway. 1 searched in vain 

 for a bower; nor did I come across anything on the so-calleil 

 forest path, which deviates from the road, keeping close to the 

 river. lUu after having passed Palona Creek I saw green 

 Satins repeatedly, in one instance four, and with them a blue- 

 black male ; also heard their peculiar wheezing notes, not unlike 

 the spitting of a cat. only less sharp. One of the green Satins 

 was picking on the road. It was almost night, when I arrived 

 at bower No. 2. 



Four o'clock next morning found me up. About half-an-!iour 

 later, before sunrise, the blue-black, as well as green. Satins 

 coui<r be heard calling. At 5.45 I noticed him at the bower, but. 

 of course, he had been there long ere this. Shortly after that, 

 near our tire-place close to the road, I observed the blue-black 

 and a green female above me in the leafage of a tree, where they 

 talked away in their ])eculiar language, uttering fre(|ueiitly a 

 wheezing, nasal "fi'ae ffae." Whether this was produced by 

 both or only by one I could not ascertain, but as in some 

 instances it was followed bv the male's "cherru." I am inclined 

 to think that it came from the female. I certainly did not hear 

 it on later occasions among the many notes of the male. Croing 

 to the bower 1 saw the Satin flying from it and found four 

 newly dejositi-d empty larval shells there. .\ little later he 

 again disappeared into the tussocks, only to return to do some 

 adjusting at the walls. When flying low over the more open 

 -crub. his i)ack, struck by the light at a certain angle, looked as 

 brilliantly blue as that of the .\zure Kingflsher skimming the 

 water, just as on another occasion his colour appeared in hue 

 like the breast of the Peacock, .\ftcr two more visits he did not 



