5i8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



Phato l.y «■'. Sai'ilU-K,nl, F.Z.'i. 



QUEENSLAND RIFLE-BIRD 



fresh. The hut is circular and some 3 feet 

 in diameter, and the mossy lav/n in front of 

 it nearly twice that expanse. Each hut and 

 garden are, it is believed, though not known, 

 the work of a single pair of birds, or perhaps 

 of the male only ; and it may be observed 

 that this species, as its trivial name implies, 

 is wholly inornate in plumage. Not less 

 remarkable is the more recentl}^ described 

 ' bovver' of the GoLDEN BowER-BiRD. . . . This 

 structure is said ... to be piled up almost 

 horizontally around the base of a tree to the 

 height of from 4 to 6 feet, and around it are 

 a number of hut-like fabrics, having the look 

 of a dwarfed native camp." Allied species, 

 though building no bowers, )'et clear a space 

 of ground some 8 or 9 feet in diameter, on 

 ^\■hich to display themselves, and ornament 

 this with little heaps of gaily tinted leaves, 

 replacing them as they fade with fresh 

 specimens. 



We pass next to the birds of the Starling 

 Family, of which the British Starling is the 

 type. A bird so familiar needs no description 

 here ; but we may draw attention to the many 

 interesting phases of plumage this species 

 undergoes. 



The first plumage is a uniform greyish 



T/ili uiuque Auarailan rcpreicritalti-'e of ihe Birds cif Pa 

 h nhout the size oj a pigeon. Its plumage ts biack luith a p. 

 shten ; the throat is brilliant pietalhc ertterald-green ^ like that 

 humniitrj-bird 



adi^e 

 urple 

 of a 



brown. Later black feathers, with large white 

 spots at the tips, mak-c their appearance among 

 the brown. These spotted feathers c\'entually 

 replace the brown, and the bird enters upon a 

 Second quite distinct phase — a black, spotted 

 with white. Gradually this gives place to a 

 plumage entirely unspotted, the feathers on the 

 breast being spe'ar-shaped. In the adult dress 

 a w(jndrous variety of metallic reflections is 

 acai.ired — green, j)ur[)le, and violet. 



Associating in the autumn and winter in 

 large flocks, starlings move from place to place 

 in search of f lod. Sometimes the number of 

 birds in these combined flocks rises to an 

 enormous figure. ( )ne of the largest of these 

 gatherings recorded in I'^ngland existed on the 

 property of the late Mr. Miles near Bristol. 

 " This locality is an evergreen plantation . . . 

 covering some acres, to which these birds repair 



Wolo l,y If. Saville-K,nl, F.Z.S. 



RED BIRD OF PARADISE 



Found only on the small island of fVaigiou^ off the north-ivest coast 

 of Ne iv Guinea 



