at every stride,
bringing down an avalanche of rubbish on the heads of the rearmost of
the party. Encumbered with our carbines, we made but slow progress,
and it was nearly six o'clock before we attained the summit, from
whence we saw several canoes making their way with full speed towards
Hinchinbrook.

"So far then, so good," we said; "we have made certain that none of the
rascals are lurking about the two islands, and we are sure to get them
now, when we sweep Hinchinbrook."

We had now done everything that was possible until the 'Daylight' had
finished unloading, and so spread ourselves out about the island to see
if the blacks had left any of their curious implements behind them. We
were in no hurry to get back to the township, so purposed having supper
where we were, and pulling back in the cool of the evening, by the
light of the moon, which was just then in full glory. We found plenty
of traces of the blacks, the embers of their fires even still glowing,
but they had carried off everything with them, and no trophies crowned
our search of Gould Island; and yet I am wrong, for I got one memento,
which I have by me still, and which is so curious to lovers of natural
history that I am tempted to describe it. In rummaging about, I came
to a place strewed with old bones, shells, parrots' feathers, etc.,
close to which stood a platform of interwoven sticks. I was terribly
puzzled at first to account for the presence of this miniature rag and
bone depot, and my astonishment culminated when Ferdinand informed me
that--

"Bird been make it that fellow; plenty d--d thief that fellow, steal
like it pipe, like it anything."

It then flashed across me that I had fallen in with the "run" of the
bower-bird, of which I had so often heard, and had so often sought for
without success.

The satin bower-bird ('Ptilonorhynchus holosericus') belongs to the
family of starlings, and though tolerably common in New South Wales, is
but a rare visitor to the hotter climate of Northern Queensland. The
plumage of the adult male is of a glossy satin-like purple, appearing
almost black, whilst the females and the young are all of an
olive-greenish colour. The peculiarity for which this bird is
generally known, is its habit of constructing a sort of arbour of dry
twigs, to act as a playground. These bowers are usually made in some
secluded place in the bush--not infrequently under the shady boughs of
a large tree--and vary consid