168 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXV. 



her on the nest with my hand, but there was the risk of breaking 

 the eggs. When frightened off the bird would return to the nest 

 within a minute or two, but eventually I drove her about fifteen 

 yards off and then shot her. I was now satisfied, for after nearly 

 two months' search in all directions, and many heart-breaking 

 failures, with the aid of my boys I had successfully discovered the 

 nests and eggs of the Tooth-billed Bower-bird and Newton's 

 Bower-bird. I returned at once to civilization and despatched 

 my finds to Sydney. 



" I had a surprise visit one day while at Evelyn from a collector 

 who had been staying at Atherton for some time, and who also 

 was in quest of Tooth-billed and Newton's Bower-birds' nests 

 and eggs, but who had failed to locate either. I gave him one of 

 the nests of the Tooth-billed Bower-bird, and gave him all 

 information how and where to look for them. Later on he 

 photographed my blackboy Norman half-way up the tree in which 

 the first nest of this species was found, and then I took him out 

 to a bovver of Newton's Bower-bird, which he had hitherto never 

 seen, and, after our felling trees to obtain a good light, he photo- 

 graphed it with a group of my boys in the background. 



" Knowing now where to look for the nests of the latter 

 species, it was only a matter of detail to search for and find others 

 from then on until the 20th December, when I finally left the 

 scrubs. During the latter part of my stay I had sixty-three 

 members of various tribes on one of my expeditions, but few real 

 workers among them, the boys from eleven to sixteen years being 

 the best. Deluging tropical rains day after day, ticks and leeches, 

 and living on damper made it very disagreeable for the time, and 

 it was the reverse to a pleasure trip. During my expeditions I col- 

 lected from the Tully River to Nigger Creek, and traversed parts of 

 the country that even some of the aborigines were lost in for some 

 days. My regular good working boys I paid a stipulated sum every 

 week, and also rewarded them when finding a nest, and gave them 

 presents of tobacco. The one also who obtained the most eggs 

 during the week received an additional reward. I was alone 

 during my trips, the only white man of the party, and when 

 saying good-bye to me, although only blacks, some left me in 

 tears." 



Mr. Sharp will doubtless receive the thanks of all oologists in 

 now completing our knowledge of the nests and eggs of all the 

 species of Australian bower-birds, and all credit and honour is due 

 to him in obtaining the nests and eggs of Newton's Bower-bird 

 and the Tooth-billed Bower-bird. Were it not, however, for the 

 strong inducements of his friend, Mr. Robert Grant, they would 

 have probably still remained undiscovered, and the eggs now 

 described would have been hatched, and the young birds flying 

 about the bush. 



