THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
'.females keep them partly suppHed with food. With most birds that 
^this ‘ feeding ’ habit it is generaUy the males that attend to the kmZT' 
in Wrens, Cuckoos, CoUared Crow-Shrikes, etc. Some years ago in Easte"' 
Gippsland, whUe sitting upon a faUen tree in the bed of a densely wooded crelk 
bordermg an orchard, my attention was attracted by hearing a bird mak 
every now and agam, a soft purring noise, besides mimicking other species’ 
Creeping towards the edge of the scrub I saw a full-plumaged male Satin 
Bower-Bird basking m the smi upon the branch of a blackwood tree The 
rays of the sun played upon the purplish feathers and the beautiful sapphire 
blue eyes flashed. The bird kept spreading its tail, di-ooping its ™ and 
mimickhig aU birds common to the district-Lyre-Bird mcluded. Then suddenly 
R would break into the purring note, and a ‘ green ’ bird irith a strawberry 
m its bill would jom it. Upon the male bird takhig the gift the other would 
fly off. Suddenly several green-plumed birds made their appearance, and 
one, settling close to me, gave a warnhig note, when they aU disappeared in 
the scrub. Satm Bower-Birds are very fond of fruit, early moniiiig and evening 
bemg their favourite times for raidhig orchards. The owner of the orchard 
mentioned informed me that the birds were a great nuisance, but it was a yeri^ 
rare tlung to see a black-plumed bird out feeding in the open with the ‘ green ’ 
ones, and that the ‘ green ’ birds kept carrying fruit into the scrub. Other 
orchardists have told me the same thing. I have heard it stated that the male 
Satm Bower-Bird does not live long after it attams the dark plumage I haye 
kept a caged bird five years after the change. It then accidentally gained 
Its liberty, and after staying about the house for a few weeks disappeared.” 
Gilbert (the second) has lately noted: “ On the Cambewaixa Mountain 
H had under observation two female Satm Bower-Birds w^hich were building. 
' One was closely w'atched for several days, and in no uistance did I see 
the male assistmg in the construction of the nest, or even observe him in 
the immediate vicinity until the work yvas finished.” 
Chishohn has pubhshed an account of the dance of this bird and how the 
bird builds its bower: “ There is nothing more fascinatmg, ivhen the Bower- 
Bird m at play, than its crazy dancmg. A spirit seems to take possession of 
the bird at irregular intervals. Then, wdthout any preparatory exercise, its 
wings go up almost straight above its back, the primaries almost toucliing. 
Holduig them thus, it bows gracefully, emits the saw-hke ‘wheeze,’ and 
hops about hi a most fantastic fashion, occasionally hi the bower, but more 
often round and about it. Better still is the performance hi which the bird 
nihices about the bcrwer on the tips of its toes. Sometimes this is done while 
the wmgs are raised, but the bird does not appear to be capable of sustaining 
itself in such a position for more than half a minute or so.” 
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