NESTM Ayp r.GGS OF ArSTRAr./AN JilRPS. c,\\ 



as the Plenty Ranges, and soiitliwanl through favourable tracts of 

 country to the coast. 



Gould named the Victorian Lyre Bird after our Gracious Sovereign 

 Lady, in 1862, from specimens received from the lat.o Sir Frederick 

 McCoy. 



At the same time Gould quoted the description of the nest as well 

 as the following interesting notes sent to him by Dr. Ludwig Becker : 

 "A nest and egg found on the 31st August airived in Melbourne on 

 the 4tli September in a good state of preservation. This was somewhat 

 astonishing, considering that the blax-kfellow carried tliem on his back 

 day by day, wrapped up in his opossum ^^kin (rug), while by night he 

 had to protect them from wild eats and other animals. In Melbourae. 

 unfortiuiately, or rather fortunately, the egg was broken, and an 

 almost fully-developed young one dropped out, which would in the 

 course of two or three days have broken through the shell. 



" The voung one is almost unfledged, having only here and there 

 feathers resembling black horse-hair, of an inch in length. Tlie middle 

 of the head and spine are the parts most thickly covered, while the 

 foro arm and the legs are less so. A tuft is visible on its throat and 

 two rows of small and light-coloured feathers on its belly. The skin 

 is yellowish-grey colour ; feet dark ; claws grey ; beak black ; eyelids 

 closed. 



" I believe that the period of incubation of the Lyre Bird begins 

 in the first week of August, and that the young one breaks through 

 the shell in the beginning of September." 



Dr. Becker, writing in September. 18.59, stated that in October of 

 the preceding year a nest of the Lyre Bird was found in the densely 

 wooded ranges near the source of the River Yarra. The nest contained 

 a young bird in a sickly state, and large in size compared with its help- 

 lessness. When taken out of the nest it screamed loudly " tching- 

 tching," the notes attracting the mother bird, which came within a few 

 paces of her young and was shot for a specimen. 



Probably the oldest data recorded with regard to the Victoria 

 Lyre Bird are those given in Samuel Sidney's " The Colonies of 

 Australia," publi.shcd in 1853, wherein is stated that: — "In 1844.* 

 Mr. Hawdon, with a party of twelve able-bodied men, including black 

 native police, was instnicted by the Government to open up a practical 

 route for cattle from Western Port to Gippsland. It was while 

 performing this journey that he had an opjjortunitv of closely 

 examining the shy and curious Lyi-c Bird." 



" \lr. II. Kendall, when generously aiding mo in reading the proofs of this 

 work, brought under my notice a little publication, "TraveU with 

 Dr. l.eichhardt," by Daniel Bunce (1859), wherein Mr. Bunce mentions that 

 towards the end of 1839 he (Bunce), accompanied bv some aborigines, made an 

 excursion (probably the first naturalists' one) to the Dandenongs, chiefly for 

 plants, but several " Bullen Bullen," or Victoria I.yre Birds, were obtained. 

 Mr. Bunce was botanist and naturalist to Dr. l.eichhardt during the first portion 

 (from Sydney to Fitzroy Downs) of the Doctor's last unfortunate expedition, 

 and afterwards curator of the Geelong Botanic dardens. — .V.J.C. 



Mr. O. H. Haydon saw the Victoria Lyre Birds (3rd Mav, 1844) during his 

 journey throuqih Gippsland, and described' them in his " Australia Felix." 1846, 

 pp. 131-133,— E A P 



