April, 1922 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
81 
SPOTTED BOWER-BIRDS AT HOME. 
By D. W. Gaukrodger, Alice Downs, Blackali. 
Part 1— NESTING NOTES. 
Much has been written relating to that most interest- 
ing creature, the Spotted Bower-Bird ( Chlamydera macu- 
lata), but so far I do not know of any special observations 
being recorded of the bird’s movements at and about its 
.nest. 
It is rather an astonishing fact that, notwithstanding 
the numbers of these birds that are to he seen (I write 
Mother Bower-bird on the Offensive. 
(“With feathers ruffled, she would show plenty of fight/’) 
[Photos by D. W. Gaukrodger. 
particularly of the Barcoo district, Central-west Queens- 
land), it is so seldom one can drop on to their nests; and 
it is a safe assertion that the big majority of bushmen — 
keen observers, too — have never seen one. The bowers, 
or playgrounds as they are generally called, are exceed- 
ingly common, and every bushman can relate some 
peculiarities manifested by the birds in and about these 
wonderful little structures; but few have any knowledge 
of the nests, and one begins to reason why this should be 
so. 
The fact that during September, October, and Novem- 
ber in each year numbers of young, fully fledged Bower- 
birds can be seen being fed by their parents disposes of 
