Apf'i.l Nntes. 141 



1921 J ~ 



observations. The record of one day's proceedings may be 

 taken as an example. With his friend he arrived at the bower 

 before sunrise. Their intentions were to photograph the 

 bird at the bower — a rather diliticult operation, owing to the 

 situation of the bower and the light conditions ; make a com- 

 plete record of what was actually done, and find out how early 

 the performance commenced. Owing to the nature of the 

 vegetation neither the bower nor the bird could be seen until 

 the observers were right on them. They had not waited long 

 when the male bird arrived with a spray of blue flowers. It 

 was now 4.45 a.m., and only just sufficiently light to see the 

 bower properly. After dropping the flowers at the side of the 

 bower the bird began re-arranging the different objects, now 

 and then pondering over the work, just like an old man. For 

 ten minutes it kept this up, apparently making ready for the 

 day's courting, then ran away some distance before flying off 

 to gather more .flowers. Five times during the next hour 

 spraj'S of flowers were brought and added to the decorations, 

 making the bower really look beautiful. At six o'clock the 

 female came down from the tree where she had been feeding 

 and went straight into the playhouse, from which to watch her 

 lover display his plumage. The male bird now began most 

 peculiar antics. With tail up, wings down, and neck out- 

 stretched, displaying his beautiful satin feathers, he would 

 strut about in front of the bower, first on one side then on the 

 other, until one would think the bird was run by clockwork. 

 For twenty minutes it thus performed, whistling like a starling 

 all the while. They then made a slight noise, at which the 

 female instantly retired, but the male bird continued his antics 

 for at least thirty seconds before he noticed that she had gone. 

 It was now sufficiently light to try for a picture, which turned 

 out well. As soon as the sun struck the bower he left, and 

 did not return until 4 p.m., when the same routine was gone 

 through again. Unfortunately, a few weeks later the bower 

 was destroyed l)y a l)ush-rire. Two other bowers were after- 

 wards found, but neither was so perfect as the first. 



Lykk-Birds.- In a recent nature note in the Argus Mr. 

 Donald Macdonald remarks on the high perching of the Lyre- 

 birds at Shcrbrooke I""alls, Dandenong Ranges. These ])irds, 

 which, before the arrival of man and the introduction of foxes, 

 usually perched and built their nests within tvu feet or so of 

 the ground, have now learned to ascend further from danger. 

 Mr. Macdonald recently saw an assemblage of twelve to fifteen 

 birds roosting in a clump of high trees just below thc^ falls, at 

 least 100 feet above the ground. They leap or tly from bough 

 to bough till they have reached tlie desired height. P)efore 



