76 Zoological Society : — 



intervals, open and flutter their wings, erect the long shoulder fea- 

 thers, and expand the elegant shields on each side of the breast. 

 Like the other Birds of Paradise, the females and young males far 

 outnumber the fully plumaged birds, which renders it probable that 

 the extraordinary accessory plumes are not fully developed until the 

 second or third year. The bird seems to feed principally upon fruit, 

 but it probably takes insects occasionally. 



" The iris is of a deep olive ; the bill horny-olive ; the feet orange, 

 and the claws horny. 



" I have now obtained a few examples of apparently the same 

 bird from Gilolo ; but in these the crown is of a more decided violet 

 hue, and the plumes of the breast are much larger." 



Notes on the Young of Menura superba. By Ludwig 

 Becker, Esq., in a Letter to John Gould, Esq., F.R.S., 

 etc., dated Melbourne, Victoria, Sept. 24, 1859. 



" In the month of October 1858 the nest of a Lyre-bird was found 

 in the densely wooded ranges near the sources of the river Yarra- 

 Yarra. It contained a bird, which seemed at first to be an old one 

 in a sickly condition, as it did not attempt to escape ; but it was soon 

 discovered to be a young bird of very large size as compared with its 

 helplessness. When taken out of the nest it screamed loudly ; the 

 note being high and sounding like * tching-tching? In a short time 

 the mother bird, attracted by the call, arrived, and, notwithstanding 

 the proverbial shyness of the species, flew within a few feet of its 

 young, and tried in vain to deliver it from captivity by flapping her 

 wings and making various rapid motions in different directions 

 towards the captor. A shot brought down the poor bird, and with 

 its mother near it the young Menura was soon silent and quiet. It 

 was taken away and kept at a ' mia-mia ' erected in the midst of the 

 surrounding forest. The following is as correct a description of the 

 bird as I can give you : — 



" Its height was 1 6 inches ; the body was covered with a brown 

 down, but the wings and tail were already furnished with feathers 

 of a dark brown colour. The head was thickly covered with a 

 greyish- white down of from 1 to 2 inches in length ; the eyes were 

 hazel-brown ; the beak blackish and soft ; the legs nearly as large 

 as those of a full-grown specimen, but it walked most awkwardly, 

 with the legs bent inwards. It rose with difficulty, the wings as- 

 sisting, and when on its legs, occasionally ran for a short distance, 

 but often fell, apparently from want of strength to move the large 

 and heavy bones of its legs properly. It constantly endeavoured to 

 approach the camp fire, and it was a matter of some difficulty to 

 keep it from a dangerous proximity to it. Its cry of * tching- 

 tching* was often uttered during the day time, as if recalling 

 the parent bird; and when this call was answered by its keeper, 

 feigning the note ' bullen-buUen y y the native name for the Lyre bird, 

 and which is an imitation of the old birds' cry, it followed the voice 

 at once, and was easily led away by it. It soon became very tame, 



