82 Jackson, Haunts of the Spotted Bower-Bird. [^ 



Emu 

 St Oct. 



was in good order. Additions to decorations were — a tooth like that 

 of a cow, part of very old zinc frame of small mouth organ, and glass. 

 The birds flew several times due south, and kept going into the trees 

 about loo yards south from the bower. I watched for a long time, 

 but got no clue to show that they had a nest or were building one. 

 Found the nest of a Butcher-Bird {Cracticus destructor) in a green 

 cypress pine, containing three eggs. Found nests of Struthidea 

 cinerea, Myzantha garrula, and Pomatostomus temporalis, contain- 

 ing young. Noticed bumble trees (Capparis mitchelli, Lindl.) 

 smashed down in many places by the hungry cattle. Saw several 

 fox-burrows on the sand-ridges. Came across Singing Honey-eater 

 {Ptilotis sonora) feeding young, and Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike 

 (Coracina robusta) sitting on her nest at the end of a long horizontal 

 linib of a coolibah. Found a somewhat fresh nest (probably of 1910) 

 of Bower-Bird, placed 20 feet up in a green leopard- wood tree 

 Cplindersia maculosa, F. v. M.) on the edge of a large plain. Found 

 another old nest of the Bower-Bird in a small green cypress pine 

 iCallitris robusta, R. Br.), built 21 feet up from the ground. The 

 tree stood about 130 yards south of an equally old bower. This nest 

 and the other old ones of this species found to date by me here are 

 prototypes of the one which Mr. Bruce Doyle kindly gave me here, 

 and from which he had taken eggs on this station on the 20th Decem- 

 ber, 1910. {Vide Plate IX.) His nest contained two handsome 

 eggs — one, unfortunately, got broken owing to a strong gust of wind 

 coming while he had his hand in the nest. The tree stood about 

 3 miles due west of my camp, and close by was a sand-ridge covered 

 with a network of rabbit-burrows, and many poisoned bunnies were 

 lying about. The nests are easily recognized when closely examined, 

 being perfectly distinct from any other nests about these parts. I 

 find the outside of the nest is generally constructed of dead sticks 

 and twigs of the budda trees {Eremophila mitchelli, Benth.). and 

 sometimes those of dead pines {Callitris robusta, R. Br.) The lining 

 is of much smaller sticks and twigs, and the dead and slightly curved 

 twigs of the cunnyanna trees (Ventilago viminalis, Hook.) and 

 boobialla {Myoporum acviminatum, R. Br.) are mostly used. Visited 

 No. 3 bower again, and watched the birds for over three hours, but 

 got no clue of a nest. Found nest of Black-throated Butcher-Bird 

 {Cracticus nigrigularis) containing three young, and a new nest of 

 Pseudogerygone jacksoni, pulled to pieces and suspended from the 

 suckers of a ring-barked coolibah. Pied Robins {Petroeca picata) were 

 plentiful ; shot pair for identification. Observed nest of Black-and- 

 White Fantail (Rhipidura tricolor) with eggs. Another new nest of 

 Plectorhamphus lanceolatus found pulled to pieces and hanging in 

 shreds. Saw Whistling Eagle's {Haliastuv sphemirus) nest in tall 

 green coolibah, placed up over 70 feet. Noted many nests to-dav 

 of different species all pulled to pieces. Found new nest of Crested 

 Bell-Bird {Oreoica) in a green wilga {Geijera parviflora, Lindl.), well 

 hidden and protected by a mass of the thorny nypang vines {Capparis 

 lasiantha, R. Br.), showing sweet-smelling flowers. Noted nest of 

 Rose-breasted Cockatoo (Cacatua roseicapilla) in green and leaning 

 trunk of a coolibah ; beneath the hollow the birds had eaten all the 

 bark off the tree on the top side for fully 3 feet down, thus leaving 

 the hard, smooth trunk underneath. I have noticed several like 

 this, and probably it is done with the view of preventing goannas, 

 &c., from climbing to the nest. Found some skins of half-lemons 

 to-day in the bush, which the Bower-Birds evidently carried fully 



