^°|--^,'^] Jackson, Haunts of the Spotted Bower-Bird. Q< 



sound rapidly. This note, so far, I have only heard these birds make 

 when they have a nest. The same appHes to a note resembhng 

 " Kurra-kurra-kurra-kurra," quickly uttered. 



\6th December. — Owing to the heat there is a great difficulty in 

 developing photographic plates, as the gelatine becomes soft, and 

 sometimes melts, causing the whole picture to run off the glass, con- 

 sequently some of the subjects had to be photographed again, which 

 meant many more miles of walking. On Cambo Cambo station there 

 is one part known as " Kundilla," where there are the remains of an 

 old wooden house, which has been abandoned for upwards of zo years.- 

 About such old and deserted places the Bower-Birds often collect 

 glass and other object'^ for the decoration ot their p'ay-grounds: 



l/th December. — Five Bower-Birds were drinking water out of a 

 dish at my camp early this morning. Visited the comfortable home- 

 stead at Goondoobluie station. 7 or 8 miles south-east of camp. Mr. 

 Melville Doyle kindly drove me down. The manager, Mr. W. A. 

 Murray, told me how destructive the Spotted Bower-Bii-ds were on 

 the fruit trees, and that many were shot there and at other 

 places on that account. These birds are also very fond of the pink 

 berries of the introduced pepper trees (Schinus molle Linn.) 



\2)th December. — Saw two Brown Hawks chasing a Wedge-tailed 

 Eagle. On the western edge of an open plain was a large bushy 

 white-wood (Atalaya Jtemiglattca, F. v. M.} covered with clusters of 

 the peculiar winged seeds, and in the top was a new nest of a Bower- 

 Bird containing two eggs, which were darker than the pair taken 

 14/1 i/i I. Nest was unusually well hidden, and placed up nearly 

 26 feet. (Plates XV., XVI.) While I was at the nest one bird 

 sat in a green wilga 10 yards away making all kinds of peculiar sounds 

 and mimicking various local birds to perfection and also the mew 

 of a domestic cat. While writing notes re the find, I saw the Bower- 

 Bird fly back into the top of the tree near where the nest was. It 

 then flew a good distance low down, within a few feet of the ground. 

 They can frequently get from one part to another unnoticed b)^ tliis 

 mode of flight, and especially so in places where there is any small 

 growth to hide them, such as salt-bush (Chenopodiacece). &c. 

 Following in the direction of the bird's flight, bower No. 8 was 

 discovered ; this was a few hundred yards due west of the tree which 

 contained the nest The play-ground ran north and south, and was 

 large and beautiful, and had great quantities of bleached bones of 

 sheep, &c., as well as glass and glass stoppers, seed-pods, pieces of 

 wire, tea lead, small stones, &c. It was placed under a lai-ge, 

 spreading bush of the native red currant (Evocarpus aphylla, R. Br.) 

 Close beside it was an old bower. The walls of this bower were (like 

 the rest) constructed of the dry stems of the blue-grass. Walls were 

 12 inches high and 18 inches long through the passage-way, width 

 inside 8^ inches. All the new bowers found were photographed. 

 Found a nest and eggs of Crested Bell-Bird in a clump of sand-ridge 

 honeysuckle (Canthium oleifo/ium, Hook.) which was in full flower 

 and giving ofi a delightful vanilla-like perfume. Crested Pigeons 

 breeding freely, and a number of nests and eggs daily seen 



igth December. — Four Bower-Birds at cainp at daylight, and two of 

 them again " displaying." When the sun shines on the expanded 

 lilac patch, it has a peculiar transparent appearance, adding con- 

 siderably to its beauty One of the birds entered the tent and picked 



