5o KiTSON, Nuics uii ihc \' icloria Lyrc-llird . l_2nd'oct. 



and a few young feathers just breaking forth on the crown, was 

 in the nest. It screeched so vigorously on being disturbed that 

 the female bird quickly appeared, making meanwhile a semi- 

 clucking noise, somewhat similar to that of a domestic hen calling 

 her chicks. Whenever the little one gave its whistling screech the 

 mother made this noise, and also gave vent to her own quaintly 

 melodious notes, sounding like " Koo-wuk', koo-wuk', koo-wow'," 

 with a growl-like roll on the wow, and " Oua-ack', qua-ack'," some- 

 what like the guttural of the common ppossum. On calming down 

 after the young bird stopped screeching she imitated various birds,* 

 principally the Tits, Scrub-Wrens {Sericornis), Coachwhip-Bird 

 {Psophodes crepitans), King Lory {A prosmictus cyanopygius), Magpie 

 {Gymnorhina leuconota). Grey Magpie [Strepera cuneicaiidata). 

 Laughing Jackass (Dacelo gigas), Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus 

 funcrciis), Butcher-Bird {Cracticus destructor), Sparrowhawk {Acci- 

 piter cirrhocephaliis), &c. — principally the first three. She then 

 walked leisurely down the sloping log, stopping every now and 

 then to scratch it — simply through force of habit, for it was quite 

 dry and sound — and then jumped on to the ground and resumed 

 her scratching. All this time she was giving a refined rendering of 

 the liquid notes of the common Magpie. 



The place was a very unsuitable one for the camera, and, being 

 alone, there was difficulty in getting the photo of the adult bird (see 

 Plate VI L) She was very restless, and as a time exposure was 

 necessary, I was compelled to focus the camera on a certain part 

 of the log where she stayed for a second or two while walking down 

 it. Then, as I could get no stick long enough to touch the young 

 one from my post at the camera, I collected pieces of mud and earth, 

 and threw bits of these into the nest. Whenever one hit the little 

 bird a screech followed, and the mother was on the log like a flash, 

 but keenly alert and ready to float into the scrub at the least sign 

 of danger. 



On one occasion (22nd September, 1900), when setting up thej 

 camera opposite the nest, I heard a slight sound, and, looking up, 

 found the bird on the log within 2 feet of my head. I had not 

 touched the young one, so it had not screeched, and the mother had, 

 therefore, not betrayed herself sooner. All the while I was setting 

 up the camera she moved about the log within a few feet of me, 

 occasionally putting her expanded tail over her head, and quietly 

 warbling — an alert, observant, fearless spectator. Now and then 

 the young bird gave its whistling screech, when the old one evinced 

 great distress and moved to a position that gave her a view of the 

 nest, though she never went near it all the time. Whenever I 

 stooped or sat down on the ground she got suspicious and hopped 

 round till seeing me, then walked up quite close to see what was 

 being done. Of my whistling she took very little notice, of talking 

 none at all, but started at once at a gruff noise like coughing. 



* This is a vtry important note, lliliicito it was believed that the male Lyre-Bird 

 only mimicked. — Eds. 



