On the Nesting of the Satin Bozver-bird.



63



THE NESTING OF THE SATIN BOWER-BIRD.


Ptilonorhynchus vio/aceus.


By Mrs. Johnstone.


It is with very mixed feelings that I am sending an

account of the nesting of the Satin Bower-bird for publication

in the Magazine ; but I much hope that at any rate the account

may be instructive, and that keepers of insectivorous birds may

benefit from my, alas! very partial success.


I was fortunate enough, last Autumn, to become the

possessor of three pairs of Satin Bower-birds, freshly imported

and all out of colour. They were housed in a small house,

made partially of wood, with a glass roof, and heated with hot

water pipes, the temperature never going below 45 degrees.


There they passed the Winter in perfect health, with one

exception : a hen Satin-bird, which had an apoplectic fit and

died. They were terribly wild at first, and the old Suffolk

keeper, who looked after them, was much distressed at their

continued terror every time he fed them. “They fare so wild I

dursent go near them, they bang about so,” he complained : and

to remedy this and give them confidence, several thick boughs

of Scotch fir were placed in a corner of their house. They

diligently made bowers all the Winter of the remains of a garden

broom ; and in the Spring, quite at the end of April, they were

all turned into a garden aviary, where their talents could have

fuller scope.


Their aviary is a large one ; wild rhododendron bushes,

varying in height from 3 ft. to 10 ft., grow in profusion, and

quantities of short sticks, which had collected under the

bushes, were soon brought into use, and a very pretty bower

constructed. It measured 10 in. high and 15 in. long, and the

walls were thick at the base aud curved inward, forming a

passage between ; and the ground for about a ) 7 ard all round was

thickly carpeted with short sticks, and decorated with every

treasure they could find ; even the body of a little Indigo Finch

was carried off and its death first realised by being found

amongst a motley collection at the entrance of the bower.



