Vol 



q^'^'l Jackson, Haunts of the Spotted Bower-Bird. 71 



foliage of a clump of bibble box suckers {Etccalyptiis populi/olitis, Hook.) 

 growing from the base of a ringbarked tree, and it contained three eggs on 

 9th October {^'idc Emit, vol. xi., pp. 24S, 249). Found two more nests of 

 the Crow [Corvus coronoides) built high up in giant carbeen or Moreton 

 Bay ash {Eucalyptus tcsselaris^ F. v. M.) ; birds flew from each. The trees 

 were growing on a sand-ridge which had been colonized by rabbits and 

 converted into a warren. Carpet snakes and goannas raid these numerous 

 burrows and destroy many of the young rabbits. The tracks of the snakes, 

 in particular, were numerous and very plain on the sand, and I noticed 

 where a large carpet snake had gone from one burrow to another. Saw 

 two Mistletoe-Birds {DiaTinn /liri'.fidi/iaccutn). No doubt these little birds 

 are common, and are more or less responsible for the vast cjuantities of the 

 mistletoe and kindred parasitic growths in the trees. Many small birds 

 build in them ; specimens of all of them were therefore collected. From 

 observations, I concluded that between 70 and 80 per cent, of the trees 

 were infested. Never before have I noticed such a quantity, and so many 

 species. The numerous native lime trees {A/alantia ^lauca., Hook.), which 

 many of the smaller birds build in, were in blossom, and their fragrance 

 was delightful. The trees grow up to 16 or 20 feet in height. Saw three 

 Yellow-legged Spoonbills {Platibis flavipes) and a pair of Native Com- 

 panions {Antigone austral asiana) ; the local native name for the latter 

 bird is " Brolga." When a few miles to the east of my camp a Spotted 

 Bower-Bird flew past, and went towards some dirty water. I thoroughly 

 examined the part from which it appeared to have flown, and was rewarded 

 by finding another new and beautiful bower (No. 3), which ran north and 

 south. It was hidden under the low, drooping limbs of a green wilga 

 {Geijcra parviflora^ Lindl.), and the branches just touched the tops of the 

 upright twigs and grass of the walls of the bower. It was an unusually 

 long one, and measured almost 2 feet through the passage ; walls con- 

 structed of the dead stems of the blue-grass {Andropog^on sericeus^ R. Br.) 

 In this passage-way the decorations consisted of one galvanized iron roofing- 

 screw, one large green cigar-shaped pod of the native silk-vine {Marsdem'a 

 leiclihardiiana^ F. v. M.), some small pieces of glass, and a seed-pod of the 

 cypress pine [Ca/litris robnsta, R. Br.), a belt of which was growing close 

 by on a sand-ridge. At the ends of the bower, and opposite the passage- 

 way, were several bleached bones of sheep and Emus, a few small pieces 

 of cuttlefish-shell, pieces of coloured glass— viz. , green, white, blue, and 

 brown — also a few curled and narrow clippings of galvanized iron, and some 

 beautiful and perfect heart-shaped berries {Pittosporiitn phillyroides, Dl.) 

 While examining the bower nothing was touched. I then stood in the 

 shade of another green wilga not far off, and a Bower-Bird (having no 

 lilac nape visible) flew down from a dead tree on to the ground right 

 beside me. It had a long, flat seed-pod like that of a wattle {Acacia) in 

 its bill. It then hopped over to the bower and placed the pod at the 

 southern end amongst the other articles of decoration, thence on to a low 

 limb over the play-ground, and from there went up by a succession of hops 

 until the top of the tree was reached. I marked the place, and moved on 

 and hunted all the likely places about for a nest, but failed to find the trace 

 of any. At this part I came across a pair of Black-backed Wrens 

 {M alums niclanonotus). They were dodging about and feeding amongst 

 the salt-bush {Rha^odia spinescens^ R. Br.) The bower (No. 3) found 

 to-day a few miles east of camp now places all the three play-grounds found 

 to date over 2 miles apart one from the other, and all handy to the 

 Moonie River, which stream (now mostly dried up) lies nearly 3 miles east 

 of my camp. Saw some old Eagles' nests. 



16th September. — Crows' nests contained young birds almost able to fly. 

 The Bower-Birds at No. i bower were backwards and forwards to the camp 

 for some time to-day, collecting articles for decorative purposes, and they 

 did some nice dancing, hopping, and side-stepping, keeping up their 



