Q4 Sir ay Feathers [^, 



Emu 

 St Oct. 



The Lyre-Bird. — On the 14th May, 1907, I was visiting 

 Cowra Creek, in the Macannally Ranges, in New South Wales. 

 The ranges are very steep and well wooded with somewhat 

 stunted stringy-barks {EucalypUts ohliqiui) and other eucalypts. 

 There is very little undergrowth. The only dwarf bushes that 

 attracted my notice were a species of pultensea closely allied to. 

 our Piiltcncea daphnoides and a bursaria allied to B. spinosa. Most 

 of the gullies were exceptionally bare of undergrowth, although 

 there were fairly thick patches of wattles {^Acacia dealbata) on 

 the moister bottoms. Fern was mostly conspicuous by its 

 absence. It will thus be seen that there are evidences that the 

 climate formerly resembled somewhat that of the Mt. Lofty 

 Ranges, the altitude being probably about 4,000 feet. But at 

 the present time, and, I am informed, for the last ten years, the 

 district has been exceedingly dry, and I should doubt from 

 appearances whether the rainfall has equalled that of the 

 " foot-hills " near Adelaide. 



In spite of these unlikely conditions the Lyre-Bird {Memira 

 siiperbd) is very numerous. I saw evidences of their recent 

 scratching in all the gullies and hill slopes visited, and on the 

 edge of the creek bank I inspected one of their "seats" or play- 

 grounds, evidently used by the bird on the previous evening. I 

 was informed that in this district the birds never nest on the 

 ground, but always in hollow tree trunks or trees, often at a con- 

 siderable height — 20 feet, 30 feet, and, I was told, 40 feet high. 

 The open nature of the country and the lack of cover will pro- 

 bably account for this habit. From what I could learn this has 

 been the persistent practice of the Lyre-Bird in this district for 

 many years prior to the advent of foxes. One nest I examined 

 was built in the standing stump of a fallen burnt tree. The 

 bottom of the nest on the upper side was 5 feet 6 inches from 

 the ground and a foot more on the lower side. The V-shaped 

 hollow below the nest proper had been filled in by the 

 birds with clay or mud, then a layer of sticks and again 

 more clay, another layer of sticks and clay. On this 

 solid foundation the nest proper was built, formed of sticks, 

 twigs, bark, &c. Two nests were built close to where the 

 miners were working and in full sight of their workings, the 

 birds appearing quite heedless of the noise caused by the 

 operations of mining. At other times the birds are exceedingly 

 difficult to approach, except when engaged in " song " or 

 mocking. 



Amongst the varied sounds of the bush these birds imitate in 

 these ranges was that of " knapping " (chipping off bits of stone) 

 by prospectors. My informants, Mr. Murray and his son, came 

 upon a bird making this sound when they were expecting to 

 find a miner. It is quite evident from observations that this 

 bird can be acclimatised without any difficulty in the Mt. Lofty 



