The Australian Satin Bird and the King Parrot. 103 



used in the construction of this little edifice are either peeled, 

 or else have a beautifully smooth bark. The decoration of the 

 bower is accomplished by sticking the feathers of gaudy 

 parrots into the wall-plates, especially where the bower and 

 wings intersect each other. The whole of the flooring is also 

 more or less thickly strewn with these feathers, especially at 

 the entrance of the wings, forming a kind of tesselated pave- 

 ment to the whole affair. It is most ludicrous to watch the 

 grotesque postures and attitudes of a group of satin birds at 

 play in one of these bowers. 



Scarcely less beautiful in plumage, and quite as interesting 

 in his habits, is the Spotted Bower Bird, which is very 

 common on the Murray, frequenting the densest part of the 

 mallee scrub. Shy and retired in its habits, and certainly 

 not so gregarious as the bird last described, the male 

 bird of this species is certainly a very handsome fellow, 

 of a rich brown covered with buff spots, and a broad stripe 

 of feathers growing out of the back of the neck, bearing 

 a remarkable resemblance to the flower of a Scotch thistle. 

 But the Murray bird lacks the splendid eye of his royally 

 apparelled brother of the Western port district, of whom, when 

 in full and mature plumage, with his glossy coat of satin-like 

 softness, the lustrous depth of whose purple hue is enhanced 

 by the still brighter glories of a peerless eye, it may be fairly 

 said, he is justly entitled to be classed among those " things of 

 beauty'' which are " a joy for ever." 



I do not think that any country in the world is richer than 

 Australia in different species of the parrot tribe; and bril- 

 liant as many of them are in their colours, to my fancy there is 

 none to equal the King Parrot (Aprosmictus scapulatus of natu- 

 ralists), nearly the size of the magpie at home ; the body colour 

 of a rich glossy purple green, with a breast of flaming red. 

 The king parrot, as he floats from one green tree to another, is 

 one of the most splendid objects in the Australian bush, and, 

 although the red lory is a magnificent bird, he must yield 

 the palm to the parrot we are now describing. However, 

 beyond the gorgeous plumage of this princely bird, there is 

 little of interest to be said respecting him, for, unlike the lyre 

 bird, he has no language, save the confused jabber of his 

 " corroboree" notes, and the short, but shrill pipe of his mo- 

 notonous call-note. Unlike the bower bird he is no builder, 

 and I introduce him here simply in illustration of the fact that 

 Victoria has also her birds of beauty, which can scarcely be 

 surpassed in richness of plumage by those of the sunniest 

 clime. The geographical range of the king parrot is I believe 

 very extensive, but in Victoria, the Gipps' Land district is un- 

 doubtedly his chief abiding place, for the further east you 



