NOTE -BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 153 



Mr. Gould goes on to observe tliat the purpose for 

 which these curious bowers are made is not yet, perhaps, 

 fully understood. He is certain that they are 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 (adds Mr. Gould) have not been 

 sufficiently watched to render it certain whether the runs are fre- 

 quented throughout the whole }'ear or not ; but it is highly pro- 

 bable that the\ are resorted to as a rendezvous or ])laying-ground 

 at the pairing-time, and during the period of incubation. It was 

 at this season, as I judged from the state of the plumage and from 

 the internal indications of those I dissected, that I visited these 

 localities ; the bowers I found had been recently renewed ; it was, 

 however, evident, from the appearance of a portion of the accumu- 

 lated mass of sticks, &c. that the same spot had been used as a 

 place of resort for many years. Mr. Charles Coxen informed me, 

 that after having destroyed one of these bowers and secreted him- 

 self, he had the satisfaction of seeing it partially reconstructed ; 

 the birds engaged in this task, he added, were females.* 



Such are the bowers constructed by the satin bower- 

 bird, (Ptilonorhynchus holosericeus, Kuhl,) the cov:ry 

 of the aborionnes of the coast of New South Wales. The 

 plumage of the adult male is deep, shining, blue- black, 

 well justif}ing that part of its name which likens it to 

 satin, except the primary -sving-feathers, whose deep black 

 more resembles velvet ; and the wing-coverts, secondaries, 

 and tail feathers, which are also of a velvety black, tip- 

 ped with lustrous blue-black. The eyes are of a light 

 caerulean blue, %vith a circle of red round the pupil. The 

 bill is of a bluish horn-coloiu:, graduating into yellow at 

 the tip, and the legs and feet are yellowish-white. 



The head and all the upper surface of the female are 

 gre}T.sh-green, the wings and tail sulphur brown. The 



* Birds of Australia. By J. Gould, F.R.S. &c. Published by 

 the Author, 20, Broad Street, Golden Square. 



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