52 



LEAVES FROM THE NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 



PART VIII. 



ELEGANT and ingenious as are the structures 

 and collections of the satin bower-bird, the species 

 of the allied genus Chlamydera display still greater 

 architectural abilities, and more extensive, collec- 

 tive, and decorative powers. 



The spotted bower-bird* is an inhabitant of the 

 interior. Its probable range, in Mr. Gould's 

 opinion, is widely extended over the central por- 

 tions of the Australian continent ; but the only 

 parts in which he observed it, or from which he 

 procured specimens, were the districts immediately 

 to the north of the colony of New South Wales. 

 During his journey into the interior, he saw it in 

 tolerable abundance at Brezi, on the river Mokai, 

 to the northward of the Liverpool plains ; and it 

 was also equally numerous in all the low scrubby 

 ranges in the neighborhood of the Namoi, as well 

 as in the open brushes that intersect the plains on 

 its borders. Mr. Gould is gifted with the eye of 

 an observer ; but, from the extreme shyness of its 

 disposition, it generally escapes the attention of 

 ordinary travellers, and it seldom allows itself to 

 be approached near enough for the spectator to 

 discern its colors. Its " harsh, grating, scolding 

 note" betrays its haunts to the intruder ; but, 

 when disturbed, it seeks the tops of the highest 

 trees, and, generally, flies off to another locality. 



Mr. Gould obtained his specimens most readily 

 by watching at the water-holes where they come 

 to drink; and, on one occasion, near the termina- 

 tion of a long drought, he was guided by a native 

 to a deep basin in a rock, where water, the pro- 

 duce of many antecedent months, still remained. 

 Numbers of the spotted bower-birds, honeysuck- 

 ers and parrots, sought this welcome reservoir, 

 which had seldom, if ever before, reflected a white 

 face. Mr. Gould's presence was regarded with 

 suspicion by the winged frequenters of this attrac- 

 tive spot ; but while he remained lying on the 

 ground perfectly motionless, though close to the 

 water, their wants overpowered their misgivings, 

 and they would dash down past him and eagerly 

 take their fill, although an enormous black snake 

 was lying coiled upon a piece of wood near the 

 edge of the pool. At this interesting post Mr. 

 Gould remained for three days. The spotted 

 bower-birds were the most numerous of the thirsty 

 assemblage there congregated, and the most shy ; 

 and yet he had the satisfaction of frequently seeing 

 six or eight of them displaying their beautiful 

 necks as they were perched within a few feet of 

 him. He slates that the scanty supply of water 

 remaining in the cavity, must soon have been ex- 

 hausted by the thousands of birds that daily re- 

 sorted to it, if the rains, which had so long been 

 suspended, had not descended in torrents. 



Mr. Gould discovered several of the bowers of 

 this species during his journey to the interior ; the 

 finest of which, now in the National Museum, he 

 .brought to England. He found the situations of 

 these runs or bowers to be much varied. Some- 



* Chlamydera maculata. GOULD. 



times he discovered them on the plains studded 

 with Myalls, (Acacia pendula,) and sornotimes in 

 the brushes with which the lower hills were 

 clothed. He describes them as considerably 

 longer, and more avenue-like, than those of the 

 satin bower-bird, extending in many instances to 

 three feet in length. Outwardly they were built 

 with twigs, and beautifully lined with tall grasses, 

 so disposed that their upper ends nearly met. 

 The decorations were very profuse, consisting of 

 bivalve shells, skulls of small animals, and other 

 bones. 



Evident and beautiful indications of design (con- 

 tinues Mr. Gould) are manifest throughout the 

 whole of.the bower and decorations formed by this 

 species, particularly in the manner in which the 

 stones are placed within the bower, apparently to 

 keep the grasses with which it is lined firmly fixed 

 in their places ; these stones diverge from the 

 mouth of the run, on each side, so as to form little 

 paths, while the immense collection of decorative 

 materials, bones, shells, &c., are placed in a heap 

 before the entrance of the avenue, this arrange- 

 ment being the same at both ends. In some of the 

 larger bowers, which had evidently been resorted 

 to for many years, I have seen nearly half a bushel 

 of bones, shells, &c., at each of the entrances. In 

 some instances, small bowers, composed almost en- 

 tirely of grasses, apparently the commencement of 

 a new place of rendezvous, were observable. I 

 frequently found these structures at a considerable 

 distance from the rivers, from the borders of which 

 they could alone have procured the shells, and 

 small, round, pebbly stones ; their collection and 

 transportation must, therefore, be a task of great 

 labor and difficulty. As these birds feed almost 

 entirely upon seeds and fruits, the shells and bones 

 cannot have been collected for any other purpose 

 than ornament ; besides, it is only those which 

 have been bleached perfectly white in the sun, or 

 such as have been roasted by the natives, and by 

 this means whitened, that attract their attention. 

 I fully ascertained that these runs, like those of the 

 satin bower-bird, formed the rendezvous of many 

 individuals ; for, after secreting myself for a short 

 space of time near one of them, I killed two males 

 which I had previously seen running through the 

 avenue. 



The plumage of. this species is remarkable. A 

 rich brown pervades the crown of the head, the 

 ear-coverts and the throat, each feather being bor- 

 dered by a narrow black line ; and, on the crown, 

 the feathers are small and tipped with silver gray. 

 The back of the neck is crossed by a beautiful, 

 broad, light, rosy pink band of elongated feathers, 

 so as to form a sort of occipital crest. The 

 wings, tail, and upper surface, are deep brown ; 

 every feather of the back, rump, scapularies, and 

 secondaries, having a large round spot of full buff 

 at the tip. Primaries slightly tipped with white. 

 All the tail-feathers with buffy white terminations. 

 Under parts grayish white. Flank-feathers zig- 

 zagged, with faint transverse light brown lines. 

 Bill and feet dusky brown. At the corner of the 

 mouth, the bare, thick, fleshy, prominent skin, is 

 of a pinky flesh color, and the irides are dark 

 brown. 



