450 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 279. CHLAMYDODERA MACULATA, Gould, 



Spotted Bower-bird. 



Calodera maculata, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part iv. p. 106. 

 Chlamydera maculata, Gould, Birds of Australia, 1837, part i. cancelled. 

 Chlamydodera maculata, Cab. Mus. Hein., Theil i. p. 212. 



Chlamydera maculata, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. iv. pi. 8. 



During my journey into the interior of New South Wales, 

 I observed this bird to be tolerably abundant at Brezi on the 

 river Mokai to the northward of the Liverpool Plains : it is 

 also equally numerous in all the low scrubby ranges in the 

 neighbourhood of the Namoi, as well as in the open brushes 

 which intersect the plains on its borders ; and collections from 

 Moreton Bay generally contain examples ; still from the ex- 

 treme shyness of its disposition, the bird is seldom seen by 

 ordinary travellers, and it must be under very peculiar cir- 

 cumstances that it can be approached sufficiently close to 

 observe its colours. The Spotted Bower-bird has a harsh, 

 grating, scolding note, which is generally uttered when its 

 haunts are intruded on, and by which means its presence is 

 detected when it would otherwise escape observation : when 

 disturbed it takes to the topmost branches of the loftiest trees, 

 and frequently flies off to another neighbourhood. 



In many of its actions and in the greater part of its eco- 

 nomy much similarity exists between this species and the 

 Satin Bower-bird, particularly in the curious habit of con- 

 structing an artificial bower or playing-place. I was so far 

 fortunate as to discover several of these bowers during my 

 journey in the interior, the finest of which I succeeded in 

 bringing to England; it is now in the British Museum. 

 The situations of these runs or bowers are much varied : I 

 fovmd them both on the plains studded with Myalls {Acacia 

 pendula) and other small trees, and in the brushes clothing 

 the lower hills. They are considerably longer and more 



