Vol. XXI 

 192 1 



J XLULIXC., The Satin Bozccr Bird. 17 



return to the playground. As later experience proved, he does 

 not fancy his pavilion when the sun strikes fully into it, pre- 

 ferring a cooler place during that time. Shortly after ten, he 

 was. perhai)s, entertainin-^ his spouse close by in the scrub, when 

 a curious sound like that of a wooden rattle._ or running cog- 

 wheels, was heard, something like "fur-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r rac rae 

 rae rae rae."" etc., to which I shall refer sul)sei(ueinlv. 



After a visit to the jungle I returned to the bower at half-past 

 two. where 1 found a piece of tinfoil, which I had put at the 

 entrance, removed by the Satin and thrown outside, from which 

 action it may be inferred that bright objects as such do not, as 

 previously referred to. necessarily attract him. Shortly after 

 my arrival he was at the playground too, repeating his visits 

 about three times in half an hour, spending his time in straight- 

 ening the walls, or meditatiag quietly in his own fashion. Once 

 he appeared suddenly behind me, flew over me into the tussocks, 

 and liopped on to the playground. During three further visits to 

 the bower he brought fresh Billardiera and Dianclla blossoms. 

 Pasring bower Xo. i, the walls of which seemed -malliM" still, I 

 had a special look at the leaves, which were all upside uj). Bird 

 not seen. 



i.^th Xovember. — Heard the calls of green Satins near the 

 junction of Waterfall Creek and Port Hacking River. Thence 

 up the river to the Causeway I searched for a bower, but in the 

 acres of bracken ferns and other growth no playground was 

 revealed. Close to the Causeway, where I had previously seen 

 and iieard them, I listened for an hour, but everything remained 

 silent, nor did a thorough search for a bower give any satisfac- 

 tion. From thereon to bower Xo. 2 only one call was heard. 

 There a green Satin was seen chasing a Pied Crow- Shrike 

 iStrepera graculina). As soon as the latter flew off, the Satin 

 Avas after it in hot pursuit, both disappearing among the trees 

 along the creek. At the bower new, blue feathers of the Crim- 

 son Parrots (Platyccrcus elegans) were noted, an empty cocoon, 

 a piece of ordinary glass with a slight bluish tinge, fresh Dianella 

 and P>illardiera blossoms, and an ample supply of snail shells and 

 dry P)anksia leaves. 



I have been asked whether I had observed that the leaves 

 on the platform were always found with their imder side 

 up. As regarding the two playgrounds, tlic tvo kinds of 

 leaves used were always observed with their upper side 

 up. One needs, I think, not look far for the explana- 

 tion. Only dry leaves are used, from which no curling 

 need be expected. Besides, the leaf of the Banksia is natur- 

 ally a rigid leaf, and the dry Schizomeria leaves mostly so. With 

 the leaves displayed by the Tooth-billed Bower-Bird, as de- 

 scribed by Mr. Sid. W. Jackson in The Emu of June, 1909, and 

 October, 191 o, the case is different, as this bird uses green 



