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.
CHLAMYDERA NUCHALIS.
J. & E. Gould del et lith. C. Hullmandel Imp.
CHLAMYDERA NUCHALIS.
Great Bower-bird.
Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis, Jard. and Selb. Ill. Orn., vol. ii. pl. 103.
Calodera nuchalis, Gould, Syn. Birds of Australia, Part I.
Chlamydera nuchalis, Gould, Birds of Australia, 1837, Part I. cancelled.—G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, p. 40.
This fine species was first described and figured in the “Illustrations of Ornithology,” by Sir William Jardine and Mr. Selby, from the then unique specimens in the collection of the Linnean Society; but neither the part of Australia of which it is a native or any particulars relative to its habits were known to those gentlemen, nor have I myself had an opportunity of observing it in a state of nature, the bird being an inhabitant of the north-west coast, a portion of the Australian continent that has, as yet, been but little visited. I am indebted for individuals of both sexes of this bird to two of the officers of the “Beagle,” Messrs. Bynoe and Dring; but neither of these gentlemen furnished me with any account of its economy. Captain Grey, however, on his return from his expedition to those regions, informed me that he frequently found during his rambles a most singular bower, made in every way like that of the Chlamydera maculata, and which was always an object of great interest to him, being unable to satisfy himself as to what animal had constructed it, or even whether it was the work of a bird or of a quadruped: he was inclined to suppose the latter, but I think there need not be the slightest hesitation in ascribing its formation to the Chlamydera nuchalis; for we may reasonably expect that a species so very closely allied to that of the southern and eastern portions of the continent would partake of its peculiar habits and economy. The following notes were written on the spot, and were kindly given to me by Captain Grey:—