182 SCENOPHDiE. 



minutes, while the Regent-bird hopped round me, and finally on 

 to the ground at my feet, when, looking down I saw the b'ower 

 scarcely a yard from where I was standing : had I stepped down 

 off the log I must have crushed it. The bird after hopping about 

 and rearranging some of the shells (Helices) and berries, with 

 which its centre was filled, took its departure, much to my relief, 

 for I was beginning to feel uncomfortable with standing so long 

 in the same position. Further research was not very successful ; 

 we met with only one other bower. Wishing to obtain a living 

 specimen of so beautiful a bird as the adult male of this species, 

 I determined to leave thg structure until the last thing on my 

 final return to Lismore, which was on the 3rd of November 

 following. We then stopped on our way, and setting eight snares 

 round the bower, anxiously awaited the result. It was not Ipng 

 before we heard the harsh scolding cry of the old bird, and knew 

 that he had ' put his foot in it.' Having taken him out and 

 transferred him to a temporary cage, we carefully pushed a board 

 brought for the purpose, underneath the bower and removed it 

 without injury. It is now before me, and is placed upon and 

 supported by a platform of sticks, which, crossing each other in 

 various directions, form a solid foundation, into which the upright 

 twigs are stuck. This platform is about fourteen inches long by 

 ten broad, the upright twigs are some ten or twelve inches high, 

 and the entrances four inches wide. The middle measures four 

 inches across, and is filled with land shells of five or six species, 

 and several kinds of berries of various colours, blue, red, and black, 

 which gave it when fresh, a very pretty appearance. Besides 

 these there were several newly-picked leaves and young shoots of 

 a pinkish tint, the whole showing a decided ' taste for the 

 beautiful ' on the part of this species.' 



While in the same locality where the above bower was discovered 

 (Taranya Creek), Dr. Ramsay was successful in finding the nest 

 of this species on the 1 2th of November of the same year ; it was 

 built in a cluster of " Lawyer vines " Calamus australis. In shape 

 the nest was like that of Collyriocincla harmonica, and composed 

 of twigs, mosses, leaves ic, about five inches across by three deep. 



