Nests, Eggs, and Play-grounds of Australian Bover-Birds. 45 



gunyahs they are called by Broadbent, who says he 

 found five of them in a space of 10 feet diameter, and 

 observes that they give the spot exactly the appearance of 

 a miniature black's camp. These seem to be built by 

 bending towards each other strong stems of standing 

 grass, and capping them with a horizontal thatch of light 

 twigs. In and around the gunyahs, and from one to 

 another, the birds in their play pursue each other to their 

 heart's content.' " 



Mr Broadbent mentions that the male Golden Bower-Bird 

 is a splendid mocker, imitating all the birds of his locality, 

 as well as the croaking noise of tree-frogs. The note of the 

 female resembles that of the Queensland Cat-Bird {^lurosdus) 

 in a sharper and shriller key. 



Mr Broadbent has thoughtfully sent me his original 

 sketches of various playing-places of the Golden Bower- 

 Bird {Prionodura neuioniana), which he made when he 

 accompanied Mr Meston's scientific expedition to Bellenden- 

 Ker in 1889, and when additional specimens of the beautiful 

 birds themselves were obtained. 



Sketch 1. — Bower made of small sticks, decorated with long 

 white moss and little bunches of wild fruit resembling grapes. 

 Locality, 7 miles from Herberton. Found, April. This 

 illustration shows the base of two small trees, heaped about 

 with a larger pyramid of fine sticks (the trees having the 

 appearance of growing out of the heap), with a smaller semi- 

 detached heap on the right-hand side. 



Sketch 2. — Bower 8 feet high, decorated with long white 

 moss off pine trees, and wild grapes. Locality, Herberton 

 Scrub, 20th May. In this instance the sticks are piled in 

 pyramid form around a single small tree or sapling for about 

 two-thirds of its height, with a smaller heap about IJ foot 

 high on the left side. 



Sketch 3. — Bower seen Herberton Scrub 14th May. This 

 is exceedingly interesting, and represents a double pile of 

 small sticks — one 4J feet high around the stem of two thin 

 sapling trees, the other IJ foot high to the right around the 

 base of a large tree. 



Sketch 4. — This sketch merely shows a large tree with its 



