Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-10-19
BIRD ARCHITECTS.
DWELLING HOUSES BUILT BY
FEATHERED ARTISTS.
Assembly Rooms Constructed by
Public Spirited Birds-The Crow
Family Are Famous House Dec
orators-The Gardener Bird.


!ifc american, one would hardly think
Of going to the crows to fin them, and
yet it is among the crows that the feath.
cred artists are most common. The
most famous artists of the crow family
are the bower birds of Australia. And
among the bower birds the spotted col
lar bird is the most artistic. 1t builds
but an ordinary nest for laying OF its
eggs and the rearing of its family in, but
to compensate for the lack of taste dis
played there, it exerts itself like the ideal
Socialist to apply its talent for the gen
sral good.
Ordinarily in the bird world the fe-
male is the architect, but with the bower
bird this is not the case. The male birds
at certain seasons of the year come to-
gether with as much system as the
beavers when building their dams, and
unite for the rettion of what have been
aptly called assembly rooms. In shape
these structures are bower like; hence
the name given the bird. In purpose
they are literally for the assembling of
the two sexes at pairing time, when
every male bird in his best plumage at
tends and disports himself in the way
which to him seems best calculated to
win him the object Of his affections
The male birds having gwen their time
and talents to the building think per-
haps that they have the best right to the
privileges of the place. However that
may be, they certainly do most of the
promenading and dancing. They
actually do dance, seeming, moreover to
enjoy the exercise. They are not so
selfish, however, as to exclude the fe-
males from the delights of this pastime,
but permit them to dance as much as
they choose, only observing the decorous
rule of dancing singly instead of in
pairs of opposite sexes. A remarkable
degree of ingenuity and skill are dis
played in the building of the bower. A
flooring of about two feet by three feet
is first woven of twigs. Other twigs of
a curved shape are disposed along the
length of the platform in such way
that the tops meet in an arch over it.
These are held firmly in place by being
inserted in the ground and by having
stones laid all along their bases. If
these twigs forming the side of the bower
are found to have pro Getting twigs on
them they are removed and others put in
their places, for nothing is permitted in
the bower that is at all likely to in ure
the plumage of the festive birds. other
twigs are woven laterally into these
twigs to give the structure greater
strength, and the inside of it is lined
with tail, soft grass so disposed that the
tufted heads meet near the root The
grass is kept in place by a row of stones
arranged along the inner base of the
bower. The structure being completed
the birds go out upon search for OBJ
iects with which to ornament not onl.
the bower itself, but the approaches t.
it as well, for the entrances to tht
structure are marked by we'll defined
pathways lined by small white pebbles
in the manner of some of our countr.
walks. The ornamental objects sough
are required to be either pure white Il
color or brilliant or glittering. Bleachet
bones, bright seeds, gay shells, feathers
agate and the like substances are mos
commonly employed. In front OF eacl
entrance little mound covered with or
namental objects is placed.
In Africa there is a bird, which, lik
the bower bird, combines the qualitie
of architect and decorative artist, wit
the difference that this bird divides tn
talents between the sexes, the femal
being the architect and the male tn
decorator. The house, for such it reall
is. is notable affair and covering a
area of fifty square feet in some instances
One observer has described this eXtri
ordinary structure IN these words: ''Tf
doorway to this dwelling is placed @
the lower part of the slope, in order th'
rain may not cause an inundation of tt
habitation. A level platform of woo
is then built at the higher end of Il
structure and carpet of some soft veg
table material is laid on 1t. A partitic
wall with doorway is then raised to CT
this portion of from the main room, fl
this is the mothers chamber and Il
nursery. Another portion of the dwellir
is then partitioned OF for use as a stor
room, and it IS the male birds duty
stock it with provisions against bs
season. The remaining space in the hou
is retained by the male bird as a sort
guard house and resting place cor
bined." No sort of decoration is allowt
by the mother to cucumber the interi
of the house, but apparently she do
not care what the father does with t
outside, provided he first procures foC
before giving himself up to his. artist
instincts. The things which he colleC
show his catholic taste in art. Anythil
glitter.ng or odd in shape will plea
him, and, if the truth be told, his hou
in the end comes to look like refu
heap o. a modified city dumping groun
The pass on of the hammerhead for
lets de vertu is such, and so well undt
Stood among the natives, that when o
of them loses any specially glittering
gaudy article, he at once sets out for
nearest hammerhead house and the
searches for it.
In certain sense the gardener bird
New Guinea is more remarkable tn
either of the foregoing birds 1t is
the public assembly room that it {
.ercises all its strange powers. VIII
the time for building has come, lie
spot, upon which stout upright shr
is growing, is selected, and all arou
the shrub, as around a tent pole
edifice is erected. The apex of the tt
is about twenty inches from the grou
and the base is nearly yard in diamet
The sides are formed of stems tigh
interviewer until waterproof matel
is made. An arched doorway is mt
in the most convenient side and gall
Is constructed all around the interior
the building. An embankment of m
holds the central pillar firmly in
place. But it is on the grounds that
artistic feeling of the bird shows itst
and these are thus described: 81
grounds cover about the same space
The house, and are made green and LAY