^°'i' ^2'' 1 Jackson, Haunts of the Spotted Bower-Bird. 81 



and most sheltered end of the passage, while at the western and more 

 exposed end not nearly so many were placed. Other articles of 

 decoration placed outside the ends of the passage included berries, 

 needle-wood tree (Hakea leucoptera, R. Br.) seed-pods, cypress pine 

 {Callitris robust a, R. Br.) seed-pods, Emu tree (Eremophila longi- 

 folia. F. V. M.) berries, gruie or Emu-apple (Owenia acidula, F. v. M.) 

 seed-balls, glass, bleached forest land-shells (snails'). Of the latter 

 there were six in all, including two species new to science,* one flat 

 species measuring over an inch across. In the passage the following 

 articles were displayed, viz. : — Two very bleached land-shells (snails'), 

 two pieces of old tea-lead which had gone white with exposure to the 

 weather, few small white bones, and one piece of Emu egg-shell 

 bleached pure white, and measuring if by f inches. The grass walls 

 of this bower were very upright, as is the case with the others found 

 here, and do not incline inwards very much at the tops. The walls 

 were beautifully built of dead stems of the blue-grass (Andropogon 

 sericeus, R. Br.) All the Bower-Birds here so far appear to use this 

 kind of grass for bower-building. A belah tree that contained a new 

 nest of the Striped Honey-eater (Plectorhamphus lanceolatiis) ready 

 for eggs a week ago, was visited, but it had been pulled to pieces. 

 Here I saw seven Grey Struthideas in determined fashion hunt a Pied 

 Grallina from the nest on which it was sitting, and pull it about, 

 throwing the eggs out. Probably these birds ransack many nests of 

 other birds as well Bush-fires about again, and smoke everywhere. 



1 5//j Oclober. — Two Bower-Birds were about the camp at 5.15 this 

 morning, and, in company with four Grey Struthideas, were feeding 

 close by when I was breakfasting. The Bower-Birds flew up into 

 the wilga tree over my tent, and imitated the calls of Brown Hawks, 

 Whistling Eagles, Magpies, Black-throated Butcher-Birds, Sordid 

 Wood-Swallows, Grey Struthideas, and the mew of a domestic cat ; 

 the latter cry is very cleverly given, and nearly all the Bower-Birds 

 here render it. Visited No. 2 bower, under the boobialla tree, a few 

 miles north of camp, and found it in good order ; two Bower-Birds 

 flew up from it into a dead tree. Some hours were spent watching 

 the birds playing in the bower and flying into trees close by. The 

 birds show no sign of breeding yet, as far as I have been able to 

 observe. This bower is beside a dried-up warrambool or bog-hole, 

 and numerous green coolibah and prettily-shaped budda trees 

 {Eremophila mitchelli, F. v. M.) grew round about. Goannas {Hydro- 

 saurus, sp.) plentiful, some of great size. Saw several Emus and a 

 pair of Native Companions. White Cockatoos (Cacatua galerita, 

 Lath.) seem to confine themselves to the large eucalyptus trees along 

 the Moonie River. Saw a flock of 9 or 10 White-browed Babblers 

 (Pomatostomus superciliosus) in the native lime trees on the edge of 

 the plain east of my camp. They appear to like the open plains better 

 than parts where the timber is large and close. They are not noisy 

 like the other (larger) species. 



i6th October. — Explored the country to the east, and also visited 

 No. 3 bower, and found that cattle had been eating the leaves off the 

 low, drooping limbs over same, so I built a rough fence with dead 

 trees around the wilga under which the play-ground was built. Two 

 Bower-Birds flew up from the play-ground as I approached, and 

 articles in same had all been re-arranged since my last visit. All 



* I succeeded in also lincUng living ones in the forest. — S.W.J. 



