6 S



On the Nesting of the. Satin Bower-bird.



blackish, with light shaft streaks. Back dark brown, with buff

shaft streaks, but dark at the tips, giving an indistinct mottled

appearance. Upper tail-coverts the same, but with a tinge of

olive, and with the mesial streaks slightly extending to the

web on each side of the shafts. Tail brown, lightly tipped

with sand} 7 ' buff. Quills brown with yellow shafts (inconspicuous

above), with inner webs washed with light sandy; on the fifth

primary yellow encroached on the sandy, and the yellow be¬

came more extensive as the body was approached, occupying

the larger part of the inner web, the under aspect of the greater

part of the wing being yellow. Uesser wing-coverts brown, with

sandy shafts; greater wing-coverts brown with darker centres,

edged at tip with sandy, with sub-terminal line of dark brown

or blackish ; primary-coverts dark brown, outer web lighter,

inner edged with yellow or yellow-white. Tower throat and

upper breast soft and downy brown, shafts sandy, tipped

with darker sub-terminal mark, giving a mottled appearance.

Breast much lighter, buff white, with sub-terminal bar of

darker, becoming lighter on abdomen. Under tail-coverts the

same bnt darker. I have described these feathers as they

appeared but, as already stated, when moved aside the centre

track was found to be bare. The flanks were of the same

general character, but more distinctly mottled owing to the

“sub-terminal” bar being darker, and the sandy-buff “ tip ”

much larger; these again seemed to be faintly edged with

darker at the tip.


Bill, of the characteristic shape of the adult, light but

becoming rather dark horn-brown towards tip. Thighs bare.

Tarsus and feet pale washed-out slaty blue, claws more inclined

to brown. Toes very long and large for so young a bird. All

the flights were encased for about one inch in the quill, with

2-3 inches free. No under wing-coverts.


Inside of mouth bright orange yellow.—R. P.]



