Vol. XXI. 1 

 l'.)21 J 



XUP.IJNG, The Satin Bozvcr Bird. 



21 



raised oti' the sides of the lx)dy, the tips pointing to the ground, 

 similarly as I have seen it done by Song Thrushes, when watching 

 for insects on a lawn. The tail was pointed downwards, too, 

 almost at a right angle to the back, the legs were set apart as 



Characteristic pose of Satin-Bird when in Bower; tail curved, 

 wings sHghtly raised, feet wide apart. 



From a drawing by Neville Cayley, R.A.O.U. 



usual. . Sketch \, which Mr. Xeville Cayley has made for me, 

 may give an approximate idea of this attitude. Again, head and 

 tail would be raised, but instead of the feathers of the latter 

 lying in one plane, the tail was curved in half-moon fashion, as 

 sketch B shows. From time to time he would raise both his 

 wings high up, erecting his whole body at the same time, but 

 whether the tips of the wings touched above or not. I cannot 

 say. He did this generally when, after performing on one side 

 of the platform, he hopped over to the other, to begin there 

 anew, the wings being raised whilst he hopped over. Xow 

 and then he would hop away in a peculiar limping fashion, stop- 

 ping for a while behind a tussock out of view, as it appeared, 

 of the female, uttering v.dien drawing away a peevish note like 

 "ee-ee-ae ae ae ae ae ae." It was just as if an actor retired for 

 a few moments from the stage behind the scene "to recuperate. - 

 Each act of the play would be started by the male with a se- 

 quence of notes, that reminded me of the sound produced by a 

 wooden rattle, used years ago in Europe by small boys, though 

 not as loud, like "fur-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-rae rae rae rae rae raerae." 

 etc. Other notes that followed were "'chait chait chait" ; "cheet 

 cheet cheet" ; "chrac chrae ciirae" ; "heerere chtie chae chae ;" "ae 

 ae ae"; "hwee hwee" ; "'hwae-ae cheae cheae," etc. : "chrc 

 aee chreaee" ; the ch always guttural, as in the Scotch word loch. 



