QUEENSLAND 
PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY 
(From the Queensland Guardian, May 24, 1864.) 
V 
\ 
The ordinary monthly meeting of the above 
society was held on May 23rd, in St. John’s 
School-room, Chief Justice Cockle in the chair 
There was very little business. The minutes 
were read and confirmed. Mr. Austin was in- 
troduced as a new member. A printed meteo- 
rological paper was placed on the table, the 
same which was published in the Guardian a 
few days before. The following curious and 
interesting paper was then read by Mr. C* 
Coxen, on the 
HABITS OP THE REGENT BIRD 
As some very interesting circumstances con- 
nected with the habits of this elegant and 
beautiful bird have lately came to my know- 
ledge, and believing them to be hitherto un- 
known, I have considered them of sufficient 
interest to form a subject for the paper' of this 
evening. The regent bird has been considered 
strictly arboral in its habits, feeding on fruits 
and berries ; but, having had an opportunity of 
seeing it in captivity, and otherwise studying 
its habits, I have been led to a different conclu- 
sion. But I can well understand that the dense 
foliage of the scrubs (its usual habitat), 
together with its shy demeanour, have caused 
much obscurity as to its general economy ; 
and, although this bird has been known to 
ornithologi-ts for many years, very little of its 
habits has become known, and it has been left 
for me to bring under your notice the very 
peculiar and curious habit it enjoys in common 
with the satin bird ( ptilonorhynchus holose- 
riceus ), and the pink-headed bower bird 
{chlamydera maculata). In corroboration 
of which, I call your attention to the ex- 
raordmary structure brought for your inspec- 
tion this evening. My attention was called to 
this peculiarity in August last, by Mr. Waller, 
taxidermist, of Edward-street, in this city, to 
whose untiring energy and ability as a collector, 
I must always bear testimony, and to whom I 
most willingly concede the right of discovering 
the unique specimen now before you. Mr. W. 
informed me that, while shooting in a scrub on 
the banks of the Brisbane River, he saw a male 
regent bird playing on the ground, jumping up 
and down, puffing out its feathers, and rolling 
about in a very odd manner, which occa- 
sioned much surp ise, never having seen the bird 
on the ground before. The spot where the bird 
was playing, was thickly covered with small 
shrubs, but not wishing to lose the opportunity 
of procuring a specimen he fired at the bird 
but only succeeded in wounding him, and in 
searching the spot where lie had perceived the 
antics of the bird, he found the bower now 
under inspection. To use his own words, he was 
never more surprised in his life, at the same 
time gratified at finding an object so interest- 
ing and new to the ornithological world. The 
bowel* was formed between and supported by 
two small brush plants exactly as you now 
see it (only that the plants have been denunded 
of their tops), and surrounded by small shrubs, 
so much so, that he had to creep on his hands 
and knees to get to it, and while doing so the 
female bird came down from a lofty tree with 
her peculiar note, and lit on a branch im- 
mediately over the bower, apparently with the 
intent of alighting in front of it; but was scared 
away on seeing Mr. W. so close to her. She 
continued flitting over the place and calling 
for her mate so long as Mr. Waller was in the 
neighbourhood. Mr. W. believes thit the 
male bird, after being wounded, fluttered to 
some distance from the bower and died at once, 
