“of the species is given by Mr. Meston in the ‘ Report of the Governm
The following account of the habits of the species 1s given hy ; I : ent
s th. 2 ¢ IAS Oo aneTP ‘ ’
Scientific Expedition to Bellenden-Ker Range.’ It will be noticed that he speaks of the species as Meston’s
iS a a ayayo NS Jew . 7 . ino fr
named asacompliment to Professor Alf ed Newton ; and without detracting from

ower-bird ; but the bird is oe : : . :
P lult male, it is obvious that the English name of this species

the merit of Mr. Meston’s having shot the first ac
| 1 1 } « ae zs ~ © 7 $
t follow the Latin designation and be associated with the celebrated naturalist in whose honour the name
mus é sig
of newtoniana was given. - | | |
«Most remarkable of all the birds named by De Vis is Prionodura newtoniana, or ‘ Meston’s Bower-bird,’
i JS Cc S ’
The name requires some explanation.
at 4800 feet. This was regarded by De Vis as one of an entirely new species and named Corymbicola mestoni.
° ates : * SoD 7 )
1 that a young uncoloured male had been previously shot by Broadbent on the head

On my first ascent of the mountain I shot a full-plumaged male specimen

Subsequently it appearec | 2
of the Tully, and received from De Vis the name of Prionodura newtoniana. To me, therefore, belonged
simply the honour of having shot the first full-plamaged HEME oe observed ane habits of this extrgondiaty
bird, and the final name, to be known hereafter to science, is Prionodura newtomana, or Meston’s Bower-bird.
Since the first male was found by me, several males and females have been shot by Broadbent on the Herberton
Ranges at 3900 feet. The blacks on the Mulgrave and Russell call this bird ‘ Wargandilla.’ So far it is
unknown south of the Tully or north of the Barron. During the expedition we obtained seven males in
perfect plumage and several females. This is one of the three handsomest birds in Australia, the other two
being the Rifle-bird and Regent-bird—Ptilorhis victorie and Sericulus melinus. In habits and peculiarities
it is one of the most eccentric birds in the world. The lowest descent was 1500 feet, between the summit
of Barnard’s Spur and the Whelanian Pools. Usually it is found from 4000 feet to 5000 feet. The note of
the female—a bird of common grey plumage—is that of the ordinary green Cat-bird, in a sharper and shriller
key. The male appears to possess the marvellous imitative powers of the Australian Lyre-bird. First you
Thee him croaking like a Tree-Frog, and this note is followed by a low, soft, musical, pathetic whistle, succeeded
in a rapid succession by an astonishing imitation of apparently all the birds in the scrub. ‘The bower varies
in size and shape, but in all cases differs from that of the other Australian Bower-birds. Both Broadbent
and myself have seen bowers up to a height of 8 feet. Asa rule, they are made between two small trees
about 4 feet or 5 feet apart. Short dead sticks and twigs are piled up against each tree in a gently contracting
pyramid, and across from base to base extends an arch-shaped causeway, occasionally spanned by a connecting
vine, decorated with green mosses and tufts of tiny ferns. In and out and over and under and around this
erratic structure both male and female birds disport themselves in frequent playful festivities, like the Lyre-
bird, Regent-bird, and Satin- and other Bower-birds remarkable for similar customs and proclivities. So

 

far only one nest has been discovered—the one found by me on the summit of the Little Mulgrave Range.
It was a round cup-shaped nest, decorated outwardly with the mosses and ferns used in ornamenting the bowers.
It contained only one egg, quite fresh ; so we have yet to learn if the bird lays one or more.”

The following descriptions are taken from a pair of birds in the British Museum, collected by Mr, Kendal
Broadbent on the Bellenden-Ker mountains :-—

Adult male, General colour above golden-olive, slightly brighter on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; wing-
coverts and quills golden-olive, the inner webs dingy brown, with a broad margin of pale yellow on the inner
web; the innermost secondaries dusky olive on the inner web ; the centre tail-feathers olive-brown, with a
golden wash, the extreme base of the feathers bright yellow; the next two feathers bright yellow, with a
broad tip of olive-brown ; the succeeding feather with a narrower tip of olive-brown, and the three outer tail-
feathers entirely bright yellow; crown of head olive-brown with a golden wash, the entire sides of the face
of this same colour; the crown with a broad median crest of golden-yellow ; the nape and hind neck also
golden-yellow, this colour overspreading the upper mantle ; hele andchin olive-brown like the ear-coverts ;
the whole of the remainder of the under surface bright golden-yellow, with a slight wash of golden-olive on
ie Hanks . thigh-feathers ashy, tipped with yellow; under tail-coverts deep golden-yellow like the under surface
of ‘es tail; axillaries and under Wwing-coverts golden-yellow ; quill-lining also yellow, as well as the shafts of
the ao underneath. Total length 9:5 inches, culmen 0:9, wing 4:85, tail 4-2, tarsus 1°2.

Adult female. Different from the male. Entirely olive-brown above, with ashy shaft-streaks to the feathers
or is head and neck ; wing-coverts like the back ; the bastard-wing, greater coverts, and outer aspect
of as a little browner than the back ; tail-feathers brown, washed slightly with olive near the base of the
outer webs; lores ashy grey ; ear-coverts and cheeks ashy grey, washed with olive-brown ; under surface of
Pei mee ae tones 20d under tail-coverts, the feathers on the lower throat
yellowish ; the quills dusky Brown ee val ee fee oe a) eee ihe oe a ee oe
9 inches, culmen 0°85 a. ae aio me along the basal two-thirds of the inner web. Total length

, § 4’0, tail 3°35, tarsus 1-2.

ml < d . ra “n
rhe Plate represents the male and

body pale ashy

| temale of the size of life ; the figures being drawn from the pair of birds
described above. : :