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CHLAMYDODERA CERVINIVENTRIS, Uouid.
F i i w n - h r e a s t e d Bower-bird.
Chlamljdem cenirnvenlris, Gould, P. Z. S. 1850, p. aoi.—Macgill. Voy. Rattlesnake, ii. p. 3S7 ( Gray,
P. Z. S. 185S, p. 194.—Id, Cat. 13. New Guinea, p. 5.<) (183! ) ) .—Gould, B. Austr. Suppl. pi. as.)!))-—
Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 294, no. 4:i43 (1809).—Digjles, Orn. Austr. i. p. 5-2, pi 52 (1877).
Chlamydodera cenmioentris, Gould, llaudb. B. Austr. i. p. 454 (18!io).-EU;ot, Mouogr. Parad. pi. xx.xli.
(1873).—Sahad. & D'Albertis, Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. vii. p. 828 (1875).—lid. op. d t . viii, p. .SI)
(1870).—lid. op. cit. p. 1!)3 (187( i ) . -Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 82 (187(3) -Rams a y , Proc.
Linn. Soc. N. S. W. i. p. 393 (187(i).—Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. xiv. p. 495 (1877).—Id. torn. cit.
p. 087 (1879).—Ram.say, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. >i p. 188 (1878).—Id. op. cit. iii. pp. 102, 208
(1879).—D'Albertis, Nuova Guinea, pp. 237, 584 (1880).—Salvad. Orn. Papuasia, etc. ii. p. UM
(1881).—Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vi. p. 393 (1881) . -Mus scl ienbr . Dagboek, p. 214 (1883).—Finsch,
Vog. der Siidsee, p. 37 (1884).—North, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W . (2) i. p. lllio (1887).—Ramsay,
Tab. List Austr. B. p. 11 (1888).—North, Descr. Cat. Nests & Eggs B. Austr. p. 180, pi. xi. fig. 4
(1889).—Salvad. Aggiunte Orn. Papuasia, etc. ii. p. 1(;5 (1890).—Id. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2)ix.
p. 585 (1890).—De Vis, Ann. Queensland Mus. no. 3, p. 9 (1892).—Crowley, Bull. Brit. Orn.
Club, i. p. xvi (1892).-Mada.asz, Aquila, 1894, p. 92.-Sharpe, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, iv. p. xiv
(1894).—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. (2) xvi. p. 113 (1890).—Madariisz, Terra. Fiiz. 1897,
p. 28.—Reichenow, J. f. O. 1897, p. 214.
Ptilorhjnckm cerviidventris, Giebel, Thes. Orn. i. p. 567 (1872).
PtUomrhjnclms cervimveniris, Rosenb. Mitth. orn. Ver. Wien, 1885, p. 54.
THIS species, wliicli is easily recognized by its fewn-coloured under surface and by the absence of any nuclial
f n l l or ornament in tlie n,ale, was discovered in the Cape York Peninsula by the h,te Join, Mac-illlvray
d u n n g the voyage of the ' Uat t lesi iake. ' It also occirs in South-easter,, New Guinea and a,,pears mt to he
r a r e ,n the Port Moresby dist,-iet, whence I have seen a nnniher of specimens collected by Goldie, Uroadhent
and other well-known naturalists. D'Albertis procured it in Hall Bay and at Naiabni, an,I Dr. Loria luw
sent a lai'ge series fro.i, Kapa Kapa to the east of Port Moresby. The species likewise occurs in Gcr.nan
New Guinea on the Finister,-e and Bismarck Momitains. It should be noticed that Gray gives the islands of
T o r r e s Straits as another locality for the species, but, like Count Salvadorl, I have not been able to find any
a u t h o r i t y for the statement. M,-. D e Vis, however, records a specimen IVon. Sndest Island, in the Loulsiade
Archipelago, obtained by Sir William MaeGi-egor on the 30th of June, 1891.
D r . E. P. Ramsay observes that this Bowe,--bird appears to be one of the most common birds about Port
Moresby, hnt it Is confined to the coast and is not met with inland. Mr. Masters obtained a bower a,nong
t h e mangroves on the ,nargin of a ser,ib within the iuflueiice of the spring-tides. Mr. Goldie also ohialncd
bowers during his fii-st expedition ; they were made of fine twigs placed in an „¡»right or sllglitly slanting
position, and gently arched over 1,> tlie middle ; the inside and sides of the bowei-, and sometimes the toj>s
of the twigs, wer e ornamented with berries. The Fawn-breasted Bo» er-hird is usually found In small troops
of sl.x to tei, in nntnber, and feeds on fruits and berries.
Gould, in descrlbhig the bower found by Macgillivray at Cape York, says :—" It differs from those of the
othe r species ; its walls, which are very thick, being nearly upright, or but little Inclining towards each other
a t the- toj), so that the pa.ssage through is very narrow : It is formed of fine twigs, is placed o., a very thick
p l a t f o rm of thicker twigs, is nearly 4 feet in length and almost as much in breadth, and lias here and there
a small snail-shell or berry droj)jied in as a decoration."
T h e following is Macgillivray's account of his discovery of the species:—
" Two days before we left Cape York, 1 was told that some Bower-birds had been seen i„ a thicket or
patch of low scrub, half a mile from the beach ; and after a long search I found a rece.itlv-constructed
bower, 4 feet lo.ig and 18 l.iches high, with sonie fresh berries lying ui,on it. The bower was'situated near
t h e border of the thicket, the bushes composing which were seldom more than 10 feet high, growing it,
smooth sandy soil without grass.
" N e x t morning I was landed before daylight, and proceeded to the place in conijiany with Palda, taking
with us a large board on which to carry off the bower as a sjiecimen. I had great difficulty in Inducing my