CHLAMYDODERA NUCHALIS. 



GREAT BOWER-BIRD. 



PTILONORHYNCHUS NUCHALIS, Jard. & Selby, 111. Orn. vol. ii. pi. 103. 

 CALODERA NUCHALIS, Gould, Syn. Birds Austr. part i. 



CHLAMYDERA NUCHALIS, Gould, Birds of Austr. vol. iv. pi. 9— G. R. Gray, List of Gen. Birds (1855), p. 65.— Id. Gen. of Birds, vol. ii. 



p. 325— Id. Hand-1. Birds, pt. i. (1869) p. 294. sp. 4339.— Homb. et Jacq. Voy. au Pole Sud (1853), vol. iii. p. 64, Atl. pi. 7. fig. 2. 

 CHLAMYDODERA NUCHALIS, Cab. Mus. Hein. Theil i. p. 212-Gould, Hand-b. Birds of Austr. (1865) vol. i. p. 448.— Ramsay, Ibis 



(1866), p. 329. 



Hab. North-western Australia (Gould). 



This rather rare species ot Bower-bird was described by Jardine and Selby in their 'Illustrations of Ornithology:' 

 but they were not aware from what portion of Australia it came. It is very distinct from the other species 

 of this genus, and lacks any kind of spots upon its plumage. Capt. Stoke, in his 'Discoveries in Australia,' 

 says of this bird that he " found matter for conjecture in noticing a number of twigs with their ends stuck 

 in the ground,, which was strewed over with shells, and their tops brought together so as to form a small 

 bower ; this was two and a half feet long, one and a half foot wide at either end. It was not until my 

 next visit to Port Essington that I thought this any thing but some Australian mother's toy to amuse her child. 

 Upon being asked one day to go and see the bird's playhouse, I immediately recognized the same kind of 

 construction I had seen at the Victoria river, and found the bird amusing itself by flying backwards and forwards, 

 taking a shell alternately from each side, and carrying it through the archway in its mouth." 



Male. — Head light brown, with a silvery gloss in certain hghts. From the occiput springs a triangular crest 

 of a beautiful rose, becoming a rich blue at the tips of the feathers. The brown feathers around the outer side 

 of this nuchal crest are tipped with a buffy white, and form a conspicuous line about this brilliant spot. Wings and 

 back and upper tail-coverts dark brown, the feathers margined and broadly tipped with brownish white. Tail of the 

 same colour as the back ; feathers edged with ohve-brown, and tipped with dull white. Entire underparts pale olive- 

 brown ; a few faint brown bars upon the under tail-coverts. Bill dark horn-colour ; feet and legs blackish brown. 



The female resembles the male, but has no bright nuchal crest. 



