. Half hours with fishes, reptiles, and birds . Fig. 218. — Courtship of Bower Birds. of the most extraordinary lot of refuse it would seem pos-sible to collect, yet all beautiful to the eyes of the of the objects were the white shells of a snail, fourhundred of these alone being counted, showing that here, 234 SOME PERCHING BIRDS indeed, was a feathered conchologist. The rest was madeup of shining stones, agates, brightly hued seeds and pods,white bones, skulls of small animals, and countless smallobjects which might catch the eye of a bird or a Fig. 219. — Gardener Bi
. Half hours with fishes, reptiles, and birds . Fig. 218. — Courtship of Bower Birds. of the most extraordinary lot of refuse it would seem pos-sible to collect, yet all beautiful to the eyes of the of the objects were the white shells of a snail, fourhundred of these alone being counted, showing that here, 234 SOME PERCHING BIRDS indeed, was a feathered conchologist. The rest was madeup of shining stones, agates, brightly hued seeds and pods,white bones, skulls of small animals, and countless smallobjects which might catch the eye of a bird or a Fig. 219. — Gardener Bird. Even more remarkable is the gardener bird of the islandof Papua (Fig. 219), that builds a perfect hut or house, andlays out a garden simply to gratify its love for the beauti-ful and that of its mate. When the first white men visitedthis island, they heard from the natives strange stories of abird that built such a home. They did not believe thesestories, but so insistent were they that an Italian naturalistmade a special search for it, and was finally repaid byfinding the bird and seeing it in its house. THE FINCHES AND SPARROWS 235 The latter is entirely separate from the nest. In makingit, the bird selects a small tree, and about a foot from theground attaches a bunch of moss. This is to form thesupport of the roof. It now selects a fast-growing orchid,and placing the large end of the twig about a foot and ahalf from the central tree, allows it to fall over so that thetop rests upon the moss ball. Scores of others are placedside by side until a circle i
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1906
