444 BIRDS or AUSTRALIA. 



much enhanced by the manner in which it is decorated with the 

 most gaily- colom-ed articles that can be collected, such as the 

 blue tail-feathers of the Rose-hill and Pennantian Parrakeets, , 

 bleached bones, the shells of snails, &c. ; some of the feathers 1' 

 are inserted among the twigs, while others with the bones and I 

 shells are strewed about near the entrances. The propensity 

 of these birds to fly off with any attractive object, is so well 

 known to the natives, that they always search the runs for 

 any small missing article that may have been accidentally 

 dropped in the brush. I myself found at the entrance of one 

 of them a small neatly-worked stone tomahawk, of an inch 

 and a half in length, together with some slips of blue cotton 

 rags, which the birds had doubtless picked up at a deserted 

 encampment of the natives. 



It has now been clearly ascertained that these curious 

 bowers are merely sporting-places in which the sexes meet, 

 and the males display their finery, and exhibit many remark- 

 able actions ; and so inherent is this habit, that the living 

 examples, which have from time to time been sent to this 

 country, continue it even in captivity. Those belonging to 

 the Zoological Society have constructed their bowers, decorated 

 and kept them in repair, for several successive years. 

 In a letter received from the late P. Strange, he says— 

 "My aviary is now tenanted by a pair of Satin-birds, 

 which for the last two months have been constantly engaged 

 in constructing bowers. Both sexes assist in their erection, 

 but the male is the principal workman. At times the male 

 will chase the female all over the aviary, then go to the bower, 

 pick up a gay feather or a large leaf, utter a curious kind of 

 note, set all his feathers erect, run round the bower, and 

 become so excited that his eyes appear ready to start from his 

 head, and he continues opening first one wing and then the 

 other, uttering a low whistling note, and, like the domestic 

 Cock, seems to be picking up something from the ground, 

 until at last the female goes gently towards him, when, after 



