spreading tree, with the branches trailing on the ground. The tree was a mulga in this instance. The country was more open, and there was no convenient cover near enough to watch this party, which I feel sure was quite distinct from that at the acacias. The archway and surroundings were very perfect, and looked newer, and rather less massive, than those at the clay-pan. In addition to the flat flakes of limestone, pieces of bone had been here added to the collection. Old sandal-wood nuts were numerous on the outside of the run, and the green ones were evidently thrown out from the inverted arch when they became discoloured. At the clay-pan I managed by crawling under the big casuarina to photograph the bower, with the male and female perched close at hand, using the camera with the legs unextended. The subject was an awkward one from a pictorial point of view, as I could only get a view of the archway by focussing between two thick trunks. I feared to go to the other side of the tree, and haul away, even pro tem., the obstructing branches. The birds must not be disturbed at any cost, a photograph being a secondary consideration to the nest and eggs. The dimensions of this playground were 7 feet in length by 5 feet in width. The foundation was a mass of innumerable twigs of about one-eighth to a quarter of an inch in diameter and about 9 inches in length on the average. This raised the foundation of the inverted arch some 6 or 8 inches above the ground. The walls of the latter measured 18 inches to the tip of the highest twig, but the general height was an inch or two less. The average thickness of the walls was about 6 inches, and the length of the run 25 inches. In the run were thirteen flakes of limestone of about a square inch in size, also about a dozen small green seed-pods, with a few mulga beans. There were no feathers or shells.
On 14th October I visited the clay-pan again, and had a big try for the nest or signs of building. I came across a pair of the birds a short distance away. One of the pair flew from a large mulga. I examined this bush carefully. There was unmistakably the commencement of a nest in the upper branches. I watched for some time, and both birds came back again. One fact caused me some uneasiness at this visit—the water in the clay-pan had nearly disappeared, and I knew of no other supply within several miles distance. The third play-ground was very similar to the one described in the foregoing, but it appeared to be newer, and the walls were less massive. The twigs used in the construction of the walls were long and very supple. Many showed a diagonal cut, and had no doubt been nipped off by the beak of the bird. The source of supply was a low, dense bush, which appeared to be all twigs and no leaves; the wood is very elastic, like a willow, and in the green state fairly soft. Close at hand, by the wreck of another large mulga tree, were the remains of an old play-ground, but the inverted arch had quite disappeared. All that remained was the mass of small twigs comprising the foundation. I constantly visited this play-ground, also the haunt at the acacias, sometimes finding no birds present, but usually some were near at hand. In my search for nests I occasionally came across Bower-Birds, and soon got to recognize them by their flight, which is direct, very undulatory, and never at any height above the scrub. When they seek cover they appear to pitch headlong down—to make a dive, in fact. On the wing they have the outline of an Oreoica (Bell-Bird), but their flight is much quieter, and with no whirring of wings whatever. Their tail looks much shorter in flight than that of a Shrike-Thrush, and their
