THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Kimberley, usually near the waters, and are most numerous in localities where 
the small black native fig grows ; they are also very fond of tomatoes, particularly 
the small kuid which grows about the size of a small plum.” From Melville 
Island, Rogers wrote: “Coopers Camp, Nov. 20, 1911: These birds are 
numerous on the creeks and also on the outer edges of the mangroves. I 
have fomid several bowers in the last-named position just above high-water 
(springtide) mark. Tliis bird appears to differ sfightly from the Derby one; 
there are no faint bars on the under-surface here. On the north side of the 
island these birds are numerous, but I consider that they are not so plentiful 
as near Cooper’s Camp.” 
Rogers also sent from the north-west a series of descriptions of bowers 
and young, which may be here given as: “Sept. 16th, 1908: Bower placed 
under a few dry sticks, the remains of what had been a tliick patch of scrub. 
This spot had been used by the birds for some years; there was the remahis 
of an old bower about four feet from the present one ; it looked three or four 
years old. The scrub was originally a thick one, but had died away and the 
birds persisted in using the old site. Another peculiarity noticed was that 
the position was on a stony range, and not on a flat or creek bank. This entailed 
a lot of work as the birds had to put down a foundation from the old bower 
of twigs from ^ inch to 6 inches long. There was an immense quantity of 
bones, many of which were much decayed. I counted two hundred and fifty, 
mostly Kangaroo bones, some broken, two pieces of glass and some nuts. 
“Total length of foundation, 54 inches; height of bower outside 15 inches, 
width 26 inches ; length 18 
depth 6 inches; width 20 
“ Tliickness of walls at thickest part (centre), 74 inches; height inside 
10 inches ; width inside 5 inches. Material used, fine bauhinia Uvigs, which 
were intenvoven at the top of the bower, forming an arch. In aU others I 
have seen the hollow in the centre was filled wdth rubbish; m tliis there were 
no stones, etc. I have never seen such a quantity of bones, stones, etc., 
outside. While I was examining the bower one of the birds came and was 
very inquisitive, coming within four feet of me. Other bowers later examined 
varied in size and structure and quantity of material, but in all essentially 
similar. Dec. 19th, 1908: Nest foimd contained one young, wliich had the 
quills of all feather-tracts except the head well out; all tracts are covered 
lightly with dowi, except that down the back of the neck and between the 
scapulars, on wliich there is no down; eyes open. The nest bowl-shaped 
and loosely built of coarse tmgs lined with fine Hvigs and was placed in the 
forks of the lowermost branch of a large bauhinia about six feet from the groimd. 
The parent bird flew from tree to tree in the vicuiity of the nest, but kept 
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