THE EXHIBITION OF 1862. 173 
forests of Eucalypti (gum-trees) and Casuarinas, and are, like 
many other Australian animals, becoming scarce. 
The Bower-birds ( Ptilonorhynchus holosericeus ) also keep 
up the character of Australia for its anomalous productions. 
These birds, with a plumage resembling black satin, are allied 
to the Crow, and are most singularly interesting on account of 
the bowers from winch they take their name, and which they 
construct as follows : — With great skill and dexterity they weave 
a sort of arbour of twigs, fixing them below in a bed of various 
materials, and decorating their promenade, which is of various 
length, with shells, feathers, and other ornamental materials, 
which they collect from the country round. This bower has 
no connection with their nest, which is built later, but serves 
apparently as a playground, in which they sport, and play at 
hide-and-seek, bo-peep, and a variety of similar amusements, 
which we should hardly expect to have found their way into 
bird-life. Their bower constantly occupies their attention. 
They arrange and rearrange the materials every day, placing 
about it everything within their reach which may by any means 
serve as an ornament to it. The habits of these birds have 
also been observed in the Zoological Gardens. 
There are many other curious birds known to Australian 
settlers by peculiar names; such as the “Laughing Jackass,” 
a large kingfisher, whose note resembles a rude powerful laugh, 
heard more especially at certain hours of the day ; and hence it 
is sometimes called the Settler’s Clock. Here, again, we have 
kingfishers which do not fish, indeed seldom come near the 
water, but feed upon mice, lizards, &c. Australian birds do 
not excel in their powers of song ; and even we English do not 
usually impute much sweetness of voice to our crows and rooks ; 
but there are few birds with a richer whistle than the Australian 
piping crow ( Barita tibicen). Both these latter birds were exhib- 
ited in the Victoria court. Parrots and cockatoos, also, the flocks 
of which annoy the settler by their depredations in his planta- 
tion, and by their harsh discordant screams, are characteristic 
birds. Home of these cockatoos also are black, as the New 
South Wales court testified; though they do not breed in open 
mossy nests, as there pretended. 
The Victorian exhibition included a number of fishes well 
preserved in spirits, showing the great resources of tins colony. 
Among these the Murray River cod, or cod-perch (Olicjorus 
Macquariensis) was conspicuous, and is said to attain a weight 
of ninety pounds. It is abundant, and the market is regularly 
supplied with great numbers of a large size. The Snapper ol 
the colonist (. Pncjrus unicolor), is ecpially important, though ol 
inferior flavour. The great Maigre (Scicena aqui$a ) , is much 
larger than either of these, and, it is said, a finer fish for the 
