THE BOWER BIKD. 341 



however, I saw a veiy glossy bird, of a deep purple hue, running 

 about, and occasionally uttering the sound which had attracted 

 me. Soon, it was evident that this was a Bower Bird engaged 

 in building the assembly-room, and after a little while he be- 

 came reconciled to my presence, and proceeded with his work. 

 He went about it in a leisurely and reflective manner, taking 

 plenty of time over his work, and disdaining to hurry himseK. 



First he would go off to the further end of the compartment, 

 and there inspect a quantity of twigs which had been put there for 

 his use. After contemplating them for some time, he would take 

 up a twig and then drop it as if it were too hot to hold. Perhaps 

 he would repeat this process six or seven times with the same 

 twig, and then suddenly pounce on another, weigh it once or 

 twice in his beak, and carry it off. When he reached the bower 

 he still kept up his leisurely character, for he would perambu- 

 late the floor for some minutes, with the twig still in his beak 

 and then perhaps would lay it doAvn, turn in another direction, 

 and look as if he had forgotten about it. Sooner or later, how- 

 ever, the twig was fixed, and then he would run through the 

 bower several times, utter his loud cry, and start off for another 

 twig. 



Why these birds should trouble themselves to make this 

 bower is a problem as yet unsolved. Had the structure served 

 in any way as a protection from the weather, there would have 

 been a self-evident reason for its existence, but the arching twigs 

 are put together so loosely that they cannot protect the birds from 

 wind or rain. Whatever may be the object of the bower, the 

 birds are so fond of it that they resort to it during many hours 

 of the day, and a good bower is seldom left without a temporary 

 occupant. 



Ornament is also employed by the Bower Bird, both entrances 

 of the bower being decorated with bright and shining objects. 

 The bird is not in the least fastidious about the articles with 

 which it decorates its bower, provided only that they shine and 

 are conspicuous. Scraps of coloured ribbon, shells, bits of 

 paper, teeth, bones, broken glass and china, feathers, and similar 

 articles, are in great request, and such objects as a lady's thimble, 

 a tobacco-pipe, and a tomahawk have been found near one of 

 their bowers. Indeed, whenever the natives lose any small and 

 tolerably portable object, they always search the bowers of the 



