The whole of the upper surface olive-brown, each feather with a
lunar-shaped mark of black at the tip; wings and tail olive-brown, the
former fringed with yellowish olive and the outer feather of the latter
tipped with white; under surface white, stained with buff on the breast
and flanks, each feather, with the exception of those of the centre of
the abdomen and the under tail-coverts, with a lunar-shaped mark of
black at the tip, narrow on the breast and abdomen and broad on the
sides and flanks; irides very dark brown; bill horn-colour, becoming
yellow on the base of the lower mandible; feet horn-colour.
The figures are of the natural size.
[Illustration:
CHLAMYDERA MACULATA: _Gould_.
_J. & E. Gould del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
CHLAMYDERA MACULATA, _Gould_.
Spotted Bower-bird.
_Calodera maculata_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV. p. 106,
and Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I.
_Chlamydera maculata_, Gould, Birds of Australia, 1837, Part I.
cancelled.
This species, which is nearly allied to the Satin Bower-bird, is
especially interesting, as being the constructor of a bower even more
extraordinary than that of the latter, and in which the decorative
propensity is carried to a far greater extent. It is as exclusively an
inhabitant of the interior of the country as the Satin Bower-bird is of
the brushes between the mountain ranges and the coast; and though in all
probability it has a wide range over the central portions of the
Australian continent, the only parts in which I have observed it, or
from which I have ever seen specimens, are the districts immediately to
the north of the colony of New South Wales. During my journey into the
interior I observed it to be tolerably abundant at Brezi on the river
Mokai to the northward of the Liverpool Plains: it is also equally
numerous in all the low scrubby ranges in the neighbourhood of the
Namoi, as well as in the open brushes which intersect the plains on its
borders; still, from the extreme shyness of its disposition, the bird is
seldom seen by ordinary travellers, and it must be under very peculiar
circumstances that it can be approached sufficiently close to observe
its colours. It has a harsh, grating, scolding note, which is generally
uttered when its haunts are intruded on, and by which means its presence
is detected when it would otherwise escape observation: when disturbed
it takes to the topmost branches of the loftiest trees, and frequently
flies off to another neighbourhood. I found the readiest way of
obtaining specimens was by watching at the water-holes where they come
to drink; and on one occasion, near the termination of a long drought, I
was guided by a native to a deep basin in a rock, which still held water
from the rains of many months before, and where numbers of these birds,
as well as Honey-suckers and Parrots, were constantly assembling
throughout the day. This natural reservoir had probably been but seldom,
if ever, visited by the white man, being situated in a remote mountain,
and presenting no attraction to any person but a naturalist. My presence
was evidently regarded with suspicion by the visitants to the spot; but
while I remained lying on the ground perfectly motionless, though close
to the water, their thirst overpowering their fear, they would dash down
past me and eagerly take their fill, although an enormous black snake
was lying coiled upon a piece of wood near the edge of the pool. Of the
numerous assemblage here congregated the Spotted Bower-birds were by far
the shyest of the whole, yet six or eight of these, displaying their
beautiful necks, were often perched within a few feet of me. The scanty
supply of water remaining in the cavity must soon have been exhausted by
the thousands of birds that daily resorted to it, had not the rains, so
long withheld, soon afterwards descended in torrents, filling every
water-course and overflowing the banks of the largest rivers: I remained
at this, to me, interesting spot for three days.
In many of its actions and in the greater part of its economy much
similarity exists between this species and the Satin Bower-bird,
particularly in the curious habit of constructing an artificial bower or
playing-ground. I was so far fortunate as to discover several of these
bowers during my journey to the interior, the finest of which I
succeeded in bringing to England, and it is now in the British Museum.
The situations of these runs or bowers are much varied: I found them
both on the plains studded with Myalls (_Acacia pendula_) and other
small trees, and in the brushes clothing the lower hills. They are
considerably 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 indications of design are manifest throughout the
whole of the bower and decorations formed by this species, particularly
in the manner in which the stones are placed within the bower,
apparently 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. In some of the larger bowers, which had evidently been resorted to
for many years, I have seen nearly half a bushel of bones, shells, &c.,
at each of the entrances. In some instances small bowers, composed
almost entirely of grasses, apparently the commencement of a new place
of rendezvous, were observable. I frequently found these structures at a
considerable distance from the rivers, from the borders of which they
could alone have procured the shells and small round pebbly stones;
their collection and transportation must therefore be a task of great
labour and difficulty. As these birds feed almost entirely upon seeds
and fruits, the shells and bones cannot have been collected for any
other purpose than ornament; besides, it is only those that have been
bleached perfectly white in the sun, or such as have been roasted by the
natives, and by this means whitened, that attract their attention. I
fully ascertained that these runs, like those of the Satin Bower-bird,
formed the rendezvous of many individuals; for, after secreting myself
for a short space of time near one of them, I killed two males which I
had previously seen running through the avenue.
Crown of the head, ear-coverts and throat rich brown, each feather
surrounded with a narrow line of black; feathers on the crown small, and
tipped with silvery grey; a beautiful band of elongated feathers of
light rose-pink crosses the back of the neck, forming a broad, fan-like,
occipital crest; all the upper surface, wings and tail of a deep brown;
every feather of the back, rump, scapularies and secondaries tipped with
a large round spot of rich buff; primaries slightly tipped with white;
all the tail-feathers terminated with buffy white; under surface greyish
white; feathers of the flanks marked with faint, transverse, zigzag
lines of light brown; bill and feet dusky brown; irides dark brown; bare
skin at the corner of the mouth thick, fleshy, prominent, and of a pinky
flesh-colour.
Both sexes, when fully adult, are adorned with the rose-coloured frill;
but the young birds of the year, both male and female, are without it.
The Plate represents the bower, with two birds, a male and a female, all
of the natural size.
[Illustration: