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0ffii:iiil ©rgvin of thi; ^uetralasiau (l)niithologists' Siuioii. 



" Birds of 2v feather." 



Vol. v.] 2ND OCTOBER, 1905. [Part 2. 



Notes on the Victoria Lyre-Bird (Menura victoriae). 



By a. E. Kitson, F.G.S., Melbourne. 



Distribution and Dispersion of the Lyre-Bird. 



The Victorian Lyre-Birds are restricted to the densely timbered, 

 moist, hilly, and mountainous parts of eastern Victoria, for they 

 must have abundance of moisture, and food consisting of insects, 

 grubs, worms, &c. The Melbourne to Sydney railway may be 

 taken as the approximate western limit of these birds. They have not 

 been found to the west of that line, nor even nearly uj) to it in 

 many parts. The reason apparently is that no densely timbered 

 and scrubby humid ranges, with permanent creeks in them, occur 

 to the west of this line on the northern side of the Main Divide, 

 for neither Putter's Range nor the Mokoan Range near Benalla 

 possesses these characteristics. The Main Divide itself, where the 

 railway crosses it at Kilmore Junction, at an altitude of 1,145 feet, 

 is rather low, and is not — apparently never was — densely scrubbed. 

 Again, although eminently suitable country for these birds is com- 

 prised by the Macedon Ranges and those in the Blackwood district, 

 near and on the Main Divide, also by the Otway Ranges, no Lyre- 

 Birds are found there. In the case of the last, the reason is un- 

 doubtedly its isolation. It is completely cut off from the other 

 hilly and mountainous districts of Victoria by the great volcanic 

 plains of the Western District, which would form an effectual 

 barrier to the dispersion of the Lyre-Bird southwards, even if it 

 were present on the Main Divide to the north. The bird is so 

 shy that, unless abundant cover be quite close at hand, it will not, 

 under ordinary circumstances, venture into the open forest country, 

 much jess cross wide tracts devoid of arboreal vegetation. It is 

 not so obvious why the Lyre-Bird is not present in the thickly 

 timbered and scrubby country of the Macedon Ranges, but 

 apparently this also is due to its comparative isolation. On the 

 east it is separated by a wide dissected volcanic plain, forming a 

 natural barrier. The only practicable bridge of dispersion exists 

 in the Main Divide itself, which from Wandong on the railway 

 takes a general north-westerly course to Mt. William, thence south- 

 westerly and southerly to Mt. Macedon. About Mt. William 

 itself there was, in its original state, a small area which might 



