634 THE DESCENT OF MAN 



beautiful is afforded by the three genera of Australian 

 bower-birds already mentioned. Their bowers (see Fig. 

 46, p. 494), where the sexes congregate and play strange 

 antics, are variously constructed, but what most concerns 

 us is, that they are decorated by the several species in a 

 different manner. The Satin bower-bird collects gayly- 

 colored articles, such as the blue tail-feathers of paroquets, 

 bleached bones, and shells, which it sticks between the 

 twigs, or arranges at the entrance. Mr. Gould found in 

 one bower a neatly worked stone tomahawk and a slip of 

 blue cotton, evidently procured from a native encampment. 

 These objects are continually rearranged and carried about 

 by the birds while at play. The bower of the Spotted 

 bower-bird "is beautifully lined with tall grasses, so dis- 

 posed that the heads nearly meet, and the decorations are 

 very profuse." Eound stones are used to keep the grass 

 stems in their proper places, and to make divergent paths 

 leading to the bower. The stones and shells are often 

 brought from a great distance. The Eegent bird, as de- 

 scribed by Mr. Eamsay, ornaments its short bower with 

 bleached land-shells belonging to five or six species and 

 with "berries of various colors, blue, red and black, which 

 give it, when fresh, a very pretty appearance. Besides 

 these there were several newly picked leaves and young 

 shoots of a pinkish color, the whole showing a decided 

 taste for the beautiful." Well may Mr. Gould say, that 

 "these highly decorated halls of assembly must be regarded 

 as the most wonderful instances of bird-architecture yet dis- 

 covered"; and the taste, as we see, of the several species 

 certainly differs." 



Preference for Particular Males by the Females. — Having 

 made these preliminary remarks on the discrimination and 



'• On the ornamented nests of Humming-birds, Gould, "Intioduction to 

 theTrochilidsB," 1861, p. 19. On the bower-birds, Gould, "Handbook to the 

 Birds of Australia," 1866, vol. i. pp. 444-461. Bamsay in the "Ibis,'' 1867, 

 pb 466. 



