524 AESTS AND AGCS OF AVSTRALIAM BIRDS. 



Observations. — Having chosen principally Dx'. Eamsay's remarks ou 

 the Lyre Bird and my own experiences for the Victoria species, 

 I adopt observations recorded in Gould for the equally remarkable 

 northern species — the Albert Lyre Bird (M. alberti). 



I should have much hked to quote from the late Mr. S. Diggles' 

 paper, "Habits of Menura alberti," read before the Queensland Pliilo- 

 sophical Society, 29th Januai-y, 1874, but the article, I regret, is 

 altogether too speculative and improbable. 



I have enjoyed hearing one or two of these birds wliistling in the 

 almost impenetrable Big Scrub of the Richmond River district (New 

 South Wales), wliich is about its southern limit. However, it is more 

 plentiful in the coastal mountains over the Queensland border, while 

 its northern hmit does not extend beyond the Wide Bay district. 



The late Mr. F. Strange was the first collector to explore for the 

 nest and egg of the Albert Lyre Bird in the cedar scrubs of the Rich- 

 mond River, where he spent ten days without finding his desiderata. 

 However, he found a deserted nest at the spur of a large fig-tree, and 

 learned from the aborigines that the birds lay in " cold weather " 

 (winter), and not spring or early summer, as Mr. Strange very 

 natiu'ally supposed. He verified the natives' statement by shooting 

 a young bird abovit four- months old on the 24th November. 



A correspondent (Mr. A. A. Leycester) wrote to Gould the general 

 statement that Albeii. Lyre Birds commence to build in May, lay in 

 June, and have voung in July. They generally place their nest on the 

 side of some steep rock, where there is sufficient room to form a 

 lodgment, so that no animals or vennin can approach. 



A commimication to Gould from Mr. Wilcox, dated Sydney, 26th 

 September, 1852, stated: — "It gives me much pleasure to forward to 

 3'ou the nest with egg of Menura alberti, which I have just obtained 

 from the Richmond River. It was placed on a rocky ledge about one 

 himdi'ed feet above the stream, so difficult of access as to render its 

 acquisition a task of no ordinary kind. Another nest was also found 

 in the brush (scrub) near the water ; it woidd seem, therefore, that 

 there is no iiile as to the elevation of the locality in wuich it is placed. 

 Only one egg was found in each nest, and, from all the information 

 I could glean on the subject, the bird never lays but one." 



The original nest, forwarded by Mr. Wilcox to Gould, was figured 

 (together with a pair of birds) in " The Illustrated London News,'' 

 19th March, 1853. Two nests were found in the Richmond River 

 scrubs recently — July and October respectively — both with the egg 

 heavily incubated. The egg in my own collection was procured in a 

 roimdabout way. It was from the famous oological collection of 

 Mr. Philip Crowley, England, and was obtained by a person who went 

 out to the Maiy River, Queensland, to search for the lunged-fish, 

 Ceratodus. 



