354 
I'ASSEUES. BIRDS. Sturnid.e. 
colour, with the wings and tail brown ; the lower sur- 
face is streaked with black, and the front of the neck 
with white. The bower of this bird is placed under 
the sheltering branches of a large tree, and is described 
by Mr. Gould as consisting of a large platform of sticks 
firmly interwoven, on the centre of which the true 
bower is raised, this being composed of finer and more 
flexible twigs so arranged as to curve over, and nearly 
meet at the top ; the materials being placed so that any 
forks on the twigs may project outwards, thus leaving 
Fifr. lift. 
Bower of the batin Bower-bird. 
a perfectly free passage for the birds throirgh their 
singular edifice. This curious structure has nothing 
to do with, the nest, but appears to be simply a place 
of resort for numerous individuals of both sexes, which 
play about the platform and run through the arch 
formed by the bower seemingly for the mere purpose 
of amusing themselves. These assemblies may, how- 
ever, be in some way connected with the courtship of 
the birds, although Mr. Gould states that the bower is 
seldom entirely deserted. The platform and its vicinity 
arc always ornamented with a variety of objects, such 
as shells and small bones, and the bower itself with 
bi'ight coloui-ed feathers. Scarcely anything seems to 
come amiss to the birds in the embellishment of their 
favourite resort, and the natives are so well aware of 
their habit of carrying olf anything that they can fly 
away with, that on losing any small article, they seek 
it at the nearest bowers, not uncommonly with success. 
THE AUSTRALIAN CAT-BIRD {Ptilonorliynclivs 
Smitliii), another of these curious little architects, is 
also a native of New South Wales, where it has re- 
ceived its name from its singular note, of which Mr. 
Gould says — “ In comparing it to the nightly concerts 
of the domestic cat, I conceive that I am conveying to 
my readers a more perfect idea of the note of this 
species than could be given by pages of description 
and from what follows, it would almost appear that 
IMr. Gould considered the sound to be of a nature to 
sooth the exiled Londoner with reminiscences of home. , 
The Cat-bird is of a green colour, more or less spotted 
with white. Its length is about eleven inches. 
THE SPOTTED BOWER-BIRD {Chlamydera macu- 
latci) displays even more elegance of design in the 
preparation of its bower than the Satin bird. Mr. 
Gould describes the bowers of this species as “ con- 
siderably longer and more avenue-like than those of 
the Satin Bower-bird, being in many instances three 
feet in length. They are outwardly built of twigs, and 
beautifully lined with tall grasses, so disposed that their 
heads nearly meet ; the decorations are very profuse, 
and consist of bivalve shells, crania of small mammalia, 
and other bones. Evident and beautiful instances of 
design are manifest throughout the bower and decora- 
tions formed by Ibis species, particularly in the manner 
in which the stones are placed within the bower, appa- 
rently to keep the grasses with which it is lined fixed 
firmly in their places ; these stones diverge from the 
mouth of the run on each side, so as to form little 
paths, while the immense collection of decorative 
materials, bones, shells, &c., are placed in a heap 
before the entrance of the avenue, this arrangement 
being the same at both ends.” 
The constructors of this curious edifice inhabit tlie 
interior of the Australian continent. They are about 
the same size as the Satin Bower-bird, and their plum- 
age is of a brown colour, elegantly spotted and varie- 
gated with yellow. The lower surface is grayish-white, 
with indistinct brown lines on the flanks ; and across the 
