52 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



to the next tree, when she suddenly runs down and follows them in silence, to repeat the same 

 manoeuvre so long as she is followed. Their food consists principally, if not entirely, of the berries 

 of the zizyphus, or jujube, which are to be found at all seasons of the year." 



THE BOWER BIRDS. 



Considerable difficulty has been experienced in placing these birds in the natural system ; the 

 curious habit possessed by the hu-ger number of this sub-family, of building a bower instead of making 

 a nest, marks them as one of the most singulai of all the forms of bird life in existence. The richly- 

 coloured Regent Bird, both from its black and yellow plumage, ind from the velvety nature of the 



REGENT BIRr. (After Gould.) 



feathers on the head, shows a certain approach towards the Birds of Paradise, while on the other hand, 

 the Cat birds and true Bower birds are somewhat Thrush-like in appearance. They appear to the 

 writer to be well placed among the Thrush-like birds, albeit very aberrant ones. 



THE REGENT BIRD (Sericulus melinus). 



Concerning the habits of this species, Mr. Gould* writes: "This beautiful species, one of the 

 finest birds of the Australian fauna, is, I believe, exclusively confined to the eastern portion of 

 the country. It is occasionally seen in the neighbourhood of Sydney, which appears to be the 

 extent of its range to the southward and westward. I met with it in the bushes at Maitland 

 in company, and feeding on the same trees with the Satin and Cat birds and the Mlmeta viridis. 

 It is still more abundant on the Manning at Port Macquarie, and at Moreton Bay. I sought 

 for and made every inquiry respecting it at Illawarra, but did not meet with it, and was 

 informed that it is never seen there, yet the district is precisely similar in character to those in 

 which it is abundant, about two degrees to the eastward. While encamped on Mosquito Island, 



* " Handbook to the Birds of Australia." 



