liniily ill tlii'ir pliices: lliese sUiiics diverge fmin tlie inoiitli uf the run on eaeli side so ns to form little piUhs,
ulille llie iniiiieiisc eolleetion of decorative uiaterluls are placed in a lieaj) before the eiitrance of the
avenue, the arraiii.enient lieiiig the same at hoth ends. In some of the larger bowers, wblcb bad evidently
been resorted to for many years, I have seen half a hnshel of bones, shells, he., at eaeb of the entrances. I
IVecpienlly fonnil these structures at a considerable dislaiice from the rivers, from the borders of wblcb they
eonhl alone bave procured the shells and small round pebbly stones ; their collection and transportation
must therefore be a task of great labour. I fully ascertained tbat these runs, like those of the Satin
lioiver-hird, formed the reiiilezvons of many individuals ; for, after secreting myself for a short space of time
near one of them, 1 killed two males vvbicb I bad previously seen running throngb the avenue."
Mr. Nm-th tells me {in qmt.) that " this Bower-hird thrives well in confinement, and its powers of mimicry
rival those of Memmi."
Dr. Uauisav writes (I'roc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. vii. p. 401)) :—
" I have received this species of Bower-bird from almost every part of the interior of Queensland,
New South Wales, and South Australia, and eggs from the Dawson River in Queensland, the Barkoo,
the Clarence Kiver, mid from the Cobar district in New South Wales. They differ very little in the
tints of the markings, varying in shades of umber, sienua, and olive-hrowu. Those at present under
consideration were taken by Mr. James Ramsay in the Cobar district; they are of a pale greenish
white with numerous thick lines of umber wound round the whole surface, irregular, wavy, crossing
and reerossiiig here and there, forming loops and knots, and occasionally crossed by a line of black or
an obsolete line of olive or slaty brown. The nest is an open structure of sticks and grasses, round,
about five inches inside diameter, by three deep, and four inches high ; it is placed between the thick
upright forks of a tree. The eggs are two to three in number for a sitting, length 1'53 ineli X 1-07 inch
in diameter."
Mr. North, in his ' Catalogue,' observes " The nest is an open structure, usually placed in a low
tree, and is sancer- or bowl-shaped, composed of sticks and lined with grass, about five inches inside
diameter by three inches deej), and four inches high. It is very rarely indeed tbat C. macdata is found
near the coast, although on one occasion Dr. Ramsay procured an egg on Ash Island, near Hexham,
on the Hunter River, about ten miles from the sea-coast. This was in 18G1, and probably the first time
that the egg had been found, though this fact appears to have escajied Dr. Ramsay's memory, since
he described another egg of the same species thirteen years afterwards (P. Z. S. 1874, p. 605), when
Mr. J. B. White was credited with having obtained the first specimen.
" I n 1875 Mr. James Ramsay procured several specimens of both birds and eggs near Tyndarie; and
others were received from the Clarence River district. Since then tlie eggs have beeomc less rare in
collections, and are to be found in most of those formed in the interior. The eggs of C. mamlata
varv considerably in the extent of their markings, and sometimes in the tints of colouring. One I have
from the Dawson River district is slightly smaller than usual, and has the ground-colour of a faint
greenish-grey, co\ered all over with a fine uetwork of light brownish linear markings, closer together
near the thickest end ; others have their markings confined altogether to the larger end of the egg.
A set taken by Mr. John Macgillivray at Grafton on the Clarence River, on the 7tb of September,
18(54, measures :—Length 1-47-1-0 inch X 1-09 inch."
INlr. North has kindly sent me a photograjdi of two eggs taken by Mr. James Ramsay at Tyndarie,
and describes them as follows:—"They are of a greenish-grey colour, which is almost obscured by
numerous linear markings, short streaks, and fine hair-lines of umber-brown. One specimen has two black
linear streaks on tlie larger end and a few indistinct clouded blotches of pale violet-grey appearing
as if beneath the surface of the shell. Length 1-47-1'oinch X 1-0!) inch."
In a letter recently received from Mr. North be writes:—"A correspondent of mine, whose
accuracy in these matters 1 can vouch for, informed me tbat he saw a most remarkable bower of
C. man,lata near Cobar in N. S. Wales. It was formed of curved twigs as usual, wliicb met near
the top and, recurving again, formed a second bower above, much smaller than the one underneath.
The lower bower measured about two feet, the one on the top (which was iu the centre) one foot. It
had the usual comiilement of bones, also a few of Eley's cartridge-cases." Mr. North sent me a rough
sketch of the bower, from which Mr. H. Grouwold has drawn a little picture (see opposite page).
The following descri]itions are taken from my si.xth volume of the ' Catalogue of Birds':—
Adult male. General colour above dark bron ii, spotted all over with tawny buCf near the end of cacb
feather, tiiese spots paling into whitish near the apex; the biud-neck i)lain umber-brown, .separating the
nape-spot from the mantle; bead tawny buff, mottled and, as it were, striped with dark brown edges
to the feathers; a few of the feathers of the crown with silvery-whitish tips; on the nape a band of
beautiful lilac plumes, somewhat elongated laterally ; wing-coverts like the back, and spotted with tawny
buir at the tijis; the quills brown, edged with wbity brown and having pale spots at the end of the
secondaries, these spots being somewhat obsolete on the tips of the primaries; upper tail-coverts
blackish brown, having in addition to the fulvous bar at the end, a sceond snh-tcrininal bar of tawny
buff; tail-feathers brown, edged with pale brown along both webs, and tipped with jiale tawny bulT;
lores and ear-coverts, as well as the sides of the neck, tawny buff, like the bead, and striped in the same
manner, with dusky brown edges to the feathers; cheeks huffy whilish, the feathers edged with brown;
throat fulvescent, shading off into wbity brown on the chest, the breast and abdomen being uniform
creamy buff; the sides of the body whitish, barred with dusky on the flanks and thighs; the throat and
fore-neck spotted with small bars of dusky; under tail-coverts pale tawny buff, with a few remains of
dusky brown bars; axillaries buffy whitish ; under wing-coverts tawny huff, with a few dusky brown bars;
quills ashy brown below, pale yellow along the inner web : " bill and feet dusky brown ; bare skin at
the corner of the month thick, fleshy, prominent, and of a pinky flesh-colour; iris dark brown " (JGoultl).
Total length 11-5 inches, culmen M, wing 5-75, tail 4'25, tarsus I'G.
Adult female. Very similar to the male, but without tbe lilac-coloured band on the nape, the latter
being of tbe same colour as tlie head, and separated from tbe mantle by the hind-neck, which is of a
lighter and more umber-brown than tbe back. Total length 11-5 inches, culmen M , wing 5-7, tail 4-5,
tarsus 1-6.
The figure in tlie Plate represents a male of this species drawn from a specimen in the British
Museum.
BOWER OF THE SPOTTED BOWEE-BIED.
From a Bhetch by Mr. North.
'•.•mmi'mitm- JKmmmm.