Nests, Eggs, and Play-grounds of Australian Boioer -Birds. 19 



" I spent four days by myself in this wild bush, away from 

 all civilisation, and tried my best to find more nests of the 

 Bower-Bird, but only succeeded in finding two old nests 

 (perhaps last season's). 



" While I was busily climbing up to one of the Satin-Bird's 

 nests, and when nearing same, I got rather an unexpected 

 shock at finding an iguana (a reptile about 3 or 4 feet long) 

 eating, or starting to eat, one of the heavily incubated eggs. 

 The ugly creature, in its sudden amazement, jumped on my 

 head, and then descended to the ground. The feeling to me 

 was very unpleasant, and of rather a rare nature." 



The breeding months extend from October to January. 



^LURCEDUS viRiDis, Latham. 

 Cat-Bird. 



Figure. — Gould, Birds of Australia, fol,, vol. iv. pi. 11. 



Reference.— QqS.. B. Brit. Mus., vi. p. 384. 



DescriiMons of E(j(js. — North, Records Austn. Mus., vol. i. (1891). 



Geographical Distribution. — South Queensland and New 

 South Wales. 



Nest. — Open, somewhat deep, with thick sides ; outwardly 

 composed of tv/igs and broad leaves holding the decomposed 

 earthy matter of the Nest-fern {Asplenium nidus) ; lined 

 inside with fine twigs and rootlets; usually situated near 

 the top of a sapling or small tapering tree, at a height of 

 from 4 to 20 feet, sheltered by the densest scrub. Dimen- 

 sions over all 9 or 10 inches, by 6 or 7 inches in depth ; 

 egg cavity, 5 inches across by 3 inches deep. 



Eggs. — Clutch 2-3 ; shape inclined to oval, more pointed 

 towards one end ; texture of shell somewhat fine ; surface 

 glossy, and of a uniform rich or dark creamy colour. 



Dimensions in inches: — Full clutch (1) 1-76x1-24; (2) 

 1-75 X 1-23; (3) 1-72 x 1-23. Of a pair— (1) 1'69 x 1-2 ; 

 (2) 1-68 X 118. 



Observations. — This most extraordinary bird is a denizen 

 of the thick jungle-like scrub which clothes portions of the 



