.VESTS AMD EGGS OF .WSTKALIAX lilKDS. 323 



My I'liend Mr. R. C. Chandler tells some extraordinar)' bush 

 yarns, yet I think he has not drawn the " long-bow " in the following 

 two instances. Twice he noticed an albino cock bird in the Bass River 

 district. It sang most melodiously and was a lovely creature. It-s pure 

 white plumage contrasted woudcrfuUy with the eyes, bill and legs, 

 which were black, wliilc the tail was lai-ge, well formed, and of the 

 usual coloiur. 



On one occasion he witnessed two male birds fighting. Like 

 roosters, they freely used their claws and bills, and in their excitement 

 occasionally tripped over their tails. 



It was mculioncd in the "School Paper," Class 111., May, 1896, 

 that Mr. S. McNeilly, of Drouin, had stated he kept a pet Lyre Bird 

 for more than cloven yeai's. For six years the tail was like that of 

 the hen bird. In the seventh year he got his tail complete, which 

 grew in length until it was about 2 feet 5 inches long. Thi.s tail was 

 shed every ye;u-. 



In connection with this Lyre Bird 1 have given three illu.strations ; 

 one, " The Haunt," depicting a typical Australian fern-tree gully ; and 

 pictures of two nests, photographed of course /« aiiu. 



418. — Menur.\ alberti, Gould. — (181) 

 ALBERT LYRE BIRD. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, foi., supp., pi. iq. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mas., vol. xiii., p. 662. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould: Proc. Zool. Soc. (1858), also 

 Birds of Australia, Handbook, vol. i., p. 31 j (1865) ; Kamsay : 

 Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S. Wales, vol. vii., p. 50, pi. 5 figs. 1-2 

 (1882) ; North : Austn. Mus. Cat., pi. 10, fig. 3 (1889). 



(j'tiHjr/iphicii/ Dislrilnttioii. — South Queensland and New South 

 Wales. 



Xrsf. — Large, dome-shaped structure, with side entrance ; outwardly 

 composed of small sticks, roots, tendrils and portions of palm leaves; 

 lined inside with green mosses and root-like vegetation. Usually 

 placed in dense scrub on the gi-ound, in the spur of a large fig or other 

 tree, or on a rocky ledge. Dimcn.sions (according to Gould) about 21 

 inches in length by 16 inches in breadth. 



Eggs. — Clutch, one only ; longish oval in shape ; texture coarse ; 

 surface slightly glos.sy, also pitted and uneven ; coioiu' varies from 

 purplish-grey to dark purplish-gi-ey, sparingly bloti'hed with dark brown 

 or sepia and dull or clottdy markings, the majority of the marking.s 

 being on the ;ipcx. Resembles the eggs of the otlier Lyre Birds, but 

 appears somewhat rougher and less numerously marked. Dimensions 

 in inches : (1) 2-52 x 1-66, (2) 238 x 169. A specimen, recently found 

 by Mr. S. W. Jackson, is a true oval, with dimensions, 2-34 x 1-72. 



