on the Gardener Bower Bird.



161



Gardener Bower Birds, I became their possessor, they were all in

immature plumage, easily scared, wild and unapproachable.


In the small aviary in which I put them, one if not two met

death by dashing against the wire meshing, but this was due J

fancy more to the bullying propensities of the survivors than to

terror of human beings. When I was near, they would sit in the

bushes like stuffed birds, but if I concealed myself, I sometimes

saw one of them unmercifully persecuting another, driving it about

with savage scoldings. At last the one victor remained, and was

finally presented to our Zoological Society in London, where he is

still to be seen in one of the small outer aviaries of the Bird House

(January, 1913).


It seems that like the Birds of Paradise, these Bower Birds

pass three or four years in immature plumage, for it was not until

this Gardener had been in Regent’s Park for some time after I had

him, that the orange crest appeared.


Mr. Seth-Smith has told me that he has seen the bird display

in the earlier hours of the morning, hopping backwards on the

ground, and suddenly erecting his splendid crest, with the tail and

wings spread at the same moment.


It had been my hope to see a bower built and a garden laid

out, but although whilst in my possession, I put in long willow twigs

and blossoms of geraniums and other flowers, nothing was done with

them.


The Gardener Bower Bird has not attractive manners; from

living always in humid and solitary forests, he has apparently

developed the nature of a recluse who votes society and social

gatherings a bore! but the one in the Regent’s Park Zoological

Gardens has become quite bold.


If only one pair had survived and mated, how intensely

interesting it would have been to see what blossoms and what

especial colours they preferred and selected for their garden.


Could one but obtain hand-reared birds, this might come

about; but mine were caught, and Mr. Goodfellow told me that

wdiat attracted them were some bright blue beads, brought out for

barter with the natives. Blue beads which w T ere not unlike a

beautiful blue berry which he found arranged by the bower. He



