BOWER-BIRDS. 145 



corated, at and near the entrance, with the most 

 gaily-coloured articles that can be collected, such 

 as the blue tail-feathers of the Rose-hill and Pen- 

 nantian parrots, bleached bones, the shells of snails, 

 &c. some of the feathers are stuck in amongst the 

 twigs, while others, with the bones and shells are 

 strewed about near the entrances. The propensity 

 of these birds to pick up and fly off with any at- 

 tractive object is so well known to the natives, 

 that they always search the runs for any small 

 missing article, as the bowl of a pipe, &c. that may 

 have been accidentally dropped in the brush. 

 Mr. Gould found, at the entrance of one of them, 

 a small neatly-worked stone tomahawk, together 

 with slips of blue cotton rags, which the birds 

 had doubtless picked up at a deserted encamp- 

 ment of the natives. 



For what purpose these curious bowers are made 

 is not yet, perhaps, fully ascertained. They are 

 certainly not used as a nest, but as a place of resort 

 for many individuals of both sexes ; which, when 

 there assembled, run through and around the 

 bower in a sportive and playful manner, and that 

 so frequently, that it is seldom entirely deserted. 



The proceedings of these birds have not been 

 sufficiently watched, to render it certain whether 

 the runs are frequented throughout the whole 

 year or not. It is, however, highly probable that 

 they are merely resorted to as a rendezvous or 



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