304 BIRDS or AUSTRALIA. 



" It is generally believed that the Menura makes use of 

 the same nest for several years. A nest and egg, found on 

 the 31st of August, arrived in Melbourne on the 4th of 

 September, in a good state of preservation. This is some- 

 what astonishing, considering that the ' black fellow ' carried 

 them on his back day by day, wrapped up in his opossum- 

 skin, while by night he had to protect them from the wild cats 

 and other animals. In Melbourne, unfortunately, or rather 

 fortunately, the egg was broken, and an almost fully deve- 

 loped young one dropped out, which would, in the course of 

 two or three days, have broken through the shell. 



" The young one is almost unfledged, having only here and 

 there feathers, resembling black horsehair, of an inch in 

 length. The middle of the head and spine are the parts 

 most thickly covered, while the forearm 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 of a 

 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." 



Some further observations on this species were sent to me 

 by Dr. Becker, on the 24th of September, 1859. 



" In the month of October 1858, the nest of a Lyre-bird 

 was found in the densely wooded ranges near the sources of 

 the river Yarra-Yarra. It contained a young bird in a sickly 

 state, and of a very large size compared with its helplessness. 

 When taken out of the nest, it screamed loudly ; the note was 

 high, and sounded like * tching-tching.' In a short time the 

 mother, attracted by the call, arrived, and, notwithstanding 

 the proverbial shyness of the species, she flew within a few feet 

 of her young, trying in vain to deliver it from captivity by 

 flapping her wings and making rapid motions in different 

 directions towards the captor. A shot brought down the 



