y3 Jackson, Haunts of the Spotted Bower-Bird. [isr'"oct. 



heard. The wind made things unpleasant in the bush. Took two nests 

 and two sets of eggs (one of three and one of two) of Pseudo^s^erygone 

 jncksoni ; these I have been watching closely for some time. The set of 

 three eggs are the types, also the nest. (Plate VIII.) Also vide Emu., vol. 

 xi., p. 249. Took clutch (three eggs) of Acanthiza chrysorrhoa ; nest built 

 in the foliage of a leopard-wood tree. These birds are plentiful. 



\oih October. — Wind still blowing strongly from the west. Found an old 

 bower hidden under the peculiar entangled ground growth of a young 

 leopard-wood tree. It was certainly well hidden from the Hawks, and 

 appeared a few seasons old. In the remaining decorations we found 

 rusty buttons, stamped " Our own make." The walls of the bower measured 

 23 inches long. Among other articles in this play-ground were two glass 

 stoppers from sauce bottles, pieces of tea lead, small stones, pieces of glass, 

 &c. Visited No. 3 bower and found it in good order, but the birds had 

 rearranged all or most of the decorations. Both birds were at it. The 

 30 or 40 seed-pods of the cypress pine which were in the passage-way during 

 my last visit had all been shifted and piled up outside the northern end of 

 the passage. Saw many very old traces of the aborigines to-day in the dead 

 trees, and noted a number which had years ago been cut open (perpendicu- 

 larly) by the blacks, probably when in search of opossums, or honey, &c. 

 These blacks have since then nearly all died out in this part, and for those 

 remaining a mission station has been established at CoUarenebri. The 

 large nardoo-stones which they used to carry about and grind the small 

 nardoo seeds on when making their native flour are still occasionally found 

 along the banks of the Moonie and Barvvon Rivers and other parts of the 

 distrtct, but these implements are now becoming rare, more especially the 

 perfect and unbroken ones. One resident showed me a splendid specimen 

 which he picked up years ago. 



Found nest of Whistling Eagle {Haliastuv sphenurus) placed about 

 85 feet up in a large blood-wood tree {Eucalyptus terminalis, F. v. M.) 

 Climbed to a nest of the Babbler {Pomatostomus temporalis) in a wattle 

 tree {Acacia longifolia, Willd.), and found that it contained two 

 eggs, slightly incubated. Saw eight handsome Barnard Parrakeets 

 (Barnardius barnardi) feeding in the cypress pines and breaking 

 open the green seed-pods. A fine male Black-backed Wren 

 {Mahirus melanonotus) was noticed to-day again at the same patch of 

 salt-bush, and the female and the three young birds were with him. 

 This is the only pair of these birds I have yet met with. In a dead 

 coolibah tree a pair of Rose-breasted Cockatoos {Cacatiia roseicapilla) 

 had a nest in a hollow. Hunted a White-eyed Crow (Corvus coronoides) 

 from her nest, placed about 70 feet up in a tall belah tree. Also found 

 the nest of a Butcher-Bird {Cracticus destructor) about 45 feet up in a 

 mass of nypang vines creeping over a dead belah, with bird sitting. Next 

 was a handsome nest of the Lanceolate fioney-eater {Plectorham pints 

 lanceolatus) just ready for eggs, and built at the end of a drooping 

 limb of a green belah In another tall belah a Grallina {Grallina 

 picaia) was peacefully sitting on its mud nest at a height of about 

 65 feet. Struthideas were busy adding mud to the walls of three old 

 nests in other belah trees close by. They must have carried the mud 

 fully 2 miles from the nearest water At this spot I disturbed five 

 large kangaroos. Saw two Bower-Birds feeding on a few of the ripe 

 fruits of the bumble tree (Capparis niitchelli, Lindl.) The fruit, when 

 ripe, has a somewhat luscious flavour, but sometimes shghtly hot. 

 The' Bower-Birds soon find the ripe fruit, and pick it clean. Counted 

 37 old nests resembling Pigeons', and probably belonging to the 

 common Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), also 27 old and empty 

 nests of the Babblers {Pomatorhinus superciliosus and P. temporalis). 



