THE GEEAT BOWEE-BIRD 419 



description of the bower in the early days, when natives were 

 still camping in the woods, and the birds were in undisturbed 

 natural conditions. 



Mr. A. J. Campbell was among the first who discovered the 

 nest and egg of the Spotted Bower-bird. He says that the nest 

 was about 20 feet from the ground, near the top of a sapling 

 in a thick belt of timber along a billabong of the river Darling, 

 near Wentworth. "The hen was sitting, and did not fly off 

 until I had climbed within a few feet of her. I did not notice 

 the male bird in the neighbourhood. The nest was formed some- 

 thing like the common Butcher-bird's {Gracticus torquatus), 

 composed of small sticks, and lined with smaller twigs and grass. 

 The egg is very beautiful in appearance, like a fine species of 

 porcelain with hand-painted markings. The ground colour is 

 very light sea-green. There are three distinct characters of 

 markings, firstly light grey blotches that appear on the inner 

 surface of the shell; secondly small stripes of light sienna and 

 umber, painted, as if with a camel-hair brush, in every shape and 

 size round and round the shell ; and lastly over these markings a 

 few darker and heavier stripes and smudges of umber. Both 

 ends of the egg are comparatively free from markings. Dimen- 

 sions 1.65 inch x 1.1. 



The Yellow-spotted Bower-bird. 



Cltlamydodera guttata. 



West and Central Australia. 



Upper surface deep brownish-black, with a spot of rich buff at the 

 tip of each feather. Head silvery-brown. No lilac band across the nape. 

 Total length 11.5 inches, bill 1.2.5, wing 6, tail 4.25, tarsus 1.75. 



The Great Bower-bird. 



Chlamydodera nuchalis. 



North-west Australia and Northern Territory. 



Head uniform greyish-brown; upper surfaces greyish-brown, feathers 

 tipped with greyish-white. A band of bright lilac across the nape, the 

 tips of the plumes distinct, rounded and turning inwards; under surfaces 

 jellowish-grey. Sometimes lays only one egg instead of the usual clutch 

 ■of two. 



