26 XL'niJXG. The Satin Boi.'cr Bird. Fisf/uh" 



vious evening'. Oljserved the Catljirds aji;ain, and then heard 

 the call of the male Satin, now here, now there; but had to move 

 forwards and backwards a good deal, much hampered by the 

 dense, heavy scrub and fallen timber, before I caught sight of 

 him, and a green female. He constantly repeated the same note, 

 "che-ae," occasionally throwing in the well-known "cheerru" ; the 

 female was also heard. Finally they disappeared in a narrow 

 side gully, .steep and rocky, with several ledges covered with 

 heavy scrub. After much climbing I got within close range of them 

 and listened to a performance as previously described, but could 

 not see the birds themselves, owing to the dense undergrowth. 

 Some of the male's notes, like "cheerru-roo-roo-roo" and "ee-urr 

 fui fui." 1 had not previously heard. I notice(\ then 3 green 

 ones and a dark-blue male in an Achras-tree above, where they 

 were jumping repeatedly at somethin^r in the foliage 1 could not 

 discern, and tearing it off. perhaps some leaf sh(X)ts or young 

 leaves, which I have seen them eating before. After a while 

 they departed, and I examined the spot, where the performance 

 had taken place, but found no bower — in fact, there was hardly 

 any nwm for one. I remained there for a time, during which 

 I observed Satins and Catbirds constantly flying u]) and down 

 the gully, feeding on the berries of the cabbage palms and the 

 three-lobed red fruit of a bushv tree, which I believe is the bas- 

 tard rosewood {Synouiii (jlandulosum). Some of the green 

 Satins were repeatedly observed dislodging some fibrous material 

 as it seemed from near the base of the leaf -stalks of the palms, 

 ;inil then Hyini; u]) the gully, returning again and again. 



( )n the return Iri]) to Audley I visited bower Xo. 3. which was 

 greatly reduced in size; tlie length, width and height resi)ectively 

 were now only 13 inches. 13 inches, and u inches. The platform 

 on the contrary had been extended to both sides. New items 

 among the varied collection were wild violets and single Hclkhry- 

 sitiiis, a blue pompon of wool, the small blue berries of Dianclla, 

 and blue feathers of the Crimson Parrot. Call of the male 

 heard, but bird not seen. Passed later bower Xo. 1. and found 

 it destroyed by a flood that had swept the low flat during- the 

 heavy December rains; the greater part of the ])latform was the 

 onh' thing remaining. 



22nd Dcccnil)er. went up tlie river in the afternoon in a row- 

 ing boat, stopping off Cpper Peach Trees, thence ])roceeding on 

 foot up the river on its western side. Opposite the Peach Trees. 

 I observed a dark-blue Satin tl\ from the ground, and after a 

 short .search found bower Xo. 4 at the foot of a Sassafras-tree. 

 The platform was rather primitive, and the collection on it com- 

 posed only of a few dry lianksia and Schizomeria leaves, some 

 small snail shells. an;l several pieces of blue-and- white china. 

 Close by Avas a single small tussock of grass and a few bracken 

 ferns and low shrubs: a large turpentine tree stood not far off'. 

 Tlie bower wn^ rather small, and of like construction to Xo. I. 



