Vol. XXI 

 1921 



] XniLLXCx, The Satin Bozucr Bird. 23 



see the l)liu'-l)lack Satin ihcre. but a i^rceii one, a Lathinl, and two 

 Lyre-15ircls. ( )l)>erve(l later at a new place a blue-black and a 

 green Satin-l>ird together. Scoured the adjoining hillside for 

 a bower, but found only a Rockwarbler ( Orii/iiia nihricata ) 

 feeding a well-grown young. At the L'pper Peach Trees, I 

 noticed a Catbird picking a green peach from a small tree, and 

 flying off with it. It was a hot day, and I was glad, at the old 

 fireplace, near the creek, to throw off my pack. ^ly gladness 

 was. however, soon turned into dismay, when I found that a bush 

 fire, coming down from Palona Creek, had devastated the whole 

 scrub on the upper side of the road to the very hilltops, and in 

 parts also the scrub below, down to the river, only the higher 

 trees, and the trees fringing the creeks and the river, being saved. 

 Needless to say, the bower liad gone with the rest. Saw the l)lue- 

 black Satin near the river. 



About 6 I noticed a Catbird near our old tire])lacc. with a 

 Black-faced Flycatcher {Mo)iairlia mclanof'sis ) in pursuit, this 

 in turn being followed by a second Catbird. 



At 20 minutes to 7 I went down to the river to have tea. My 

 surprise may be imagined when I found a new Ijower, Xo. 3, of 

 our old friend. The platform wa^ small, at one end only, the 

 room being rather limited, and no decoration on it. The stick> 

 of the walls were upright, on one side firmly interlaced with 

 diagonally-laid sticks, protruding several inches outwards at the 

 bottom over the uprights, curving in then towards the centre. 

 The sticks were coarse, some up to '4 ii^i^'li thick, with the conse- 

 quence that the avenue was wide open at the top, as these sticks 

 could, of course, not be bent over. Evidently this was only the 

 strong foundation of the unfinished bower. It afforded an in- 

 teresting insight into the working methods of this clever bird- 

 architect, who seemed to possess a remarkable knowledge of 

 static principles, and to- apply them to his structure. The measure- 

 ments were — length of walls, 15^ inches; greatest width, i5J,<^ 

 inches : thickness of walls, 4/6-5 inches ; internal width, at bot- 

 tom 5 inches, on top 6 inches, the avenue in centre slightly con- 

 cave. This bower is much larger than the others, and was sur- 

 rounded by low tussocks. On the roadside a fallen tree trunk 

 lay about two feet from the bower. After seeing his old bower 

 destroyed, the Satin must have set to work, to build a new one. 

 and a fine job he made of it, even as it stands unfinished. It is 

 situated at the edge of the trees flanking the creek, wdiilst taller 

 trees are found at various distances on the other sides. If a 

 line is drawn along the long axis of this l)ower it points X.W. 

 and S.E. exactly. The same applies to l)0wer Xo. t and 2, which 

 fact seems rather remarkable. 



T was sitting on the trunk at the Ijower when I noticed the 

 Satin alight some 15 feet awav. I remained still, and the bird 

 hopped along to the bower, which, after a moment's hesitation, 

 it entered, so that I looked down on it. Si)nicthing pressing 



