140 Wonders of the Bird World 



My readers will not fail to have noticed the account of 

 the extraordinary pyramid of sticks which the Prionodura 

 is found raising against the trees which support the bower. 

 This feature in arbour-building is still more strikingly 

 illustrated in the play-ground which the Gardener-bird 

 {Amblyornis inornata) of New Guinea erects for its 

 delectation and amusement. The home of this little bird 

 is in the great mountain ranges of that wonderful island, 

 and the discovery of its bower or playing-ground is due to 

 the great Italian naturalist, Dr. Beccari, who says that the 

 natives call it Tukan Kobon, which means " a gardener." 

 Another name they give it is " Buruk Gusra," or "Master 

 Bird," as it is such a master of the songs and screamings of 

 numerous birds, that it drove Beccari's hunters to despair, 

 so frequently were they deceived by the imitations of the 

 Amblyornis. It is a somewhat curious coincidence that, 

 like the Golden Bower-bird, the Amblyornis was described 

 originally from a dull-coloured female specimen, and 

 received the somewhat inappropriate name of inornata. 

 For twenty years none but females or immature birds were 

 received by museums, and it was only quite recently that 

 the male was discovered, and he was then found to have 

 an enormous crest of brilliant orange, so that instead of 

 being " unadorned," as the name inornata would imply, 

 he possesses a very striking and beautiful decoration in the 

 form and colour of his top-knot. 



The playing-ground of the Gardener Bower-bird is 

 certainly one of the wonders of the world. Dr. Beccari's 

 account of its discovery must be given in his own words 

 — "I had just killed a small new species of Marsupial, 

 Phascogale dorsalis, which balanced itself on the stem of a 

 great tree like a Squirrel ; and turning round, I suddenly 

 stood before a most remarkable specimen of the industry 

 of an animal. It was a hut or bower close to a small 

 meadow, enamelled with flowers. The whole was on a 



