114 AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 



usually placed on the ground, and the large single egg (or the 

 young one) is often taken hy the fox. Further, its natural 

 haunts — dense forest scrubs — are being rapidly cleared, so that 

 the bird is doomed, except in special sanctuaries. 



The Lyre Bird is now generally acknowledged to be the prince 

 of mocking birds. It mimics clearly all bush noises, the chop- 

 ping of trees, sawing of logs, barking of dogs, clucking of hens, 

 the singing of native birds. Its dancing mounds are interesting. 

 Near one of these mounds, on the Upper Snowy River, in the 

 wild cherry scrub, we observed a nest at a height of about thirty 

 feet from the ground. 



Australians! you owe it to mankind in general to see that the 

 protection supposed to be given to the Lyre Bird is a reality. 

 Recently, after passing a lady much bedecked with Bird of Para- 

 dise plumes, I thought it was fortunate the Lyre Bird's tail was 

 too large for a lady's hat. Imagine my surprise when, at the 

 next street corner (Collins and Spring Streets), I met a lady with 

 a Lyre Bird's tail stuck through her head-dress. However, I 

 have seen no other tail used for such a purpose. 



In America the Audubon Society has done splendid work by 

 disseminating knowledge about American birds, and arousing 

 public interest in the value of birds. There, also, thorough scien- 

 tific investigation has been made of the value of insect-eating and 

 seed-eating birds. It has been stated, as the result of full 

 research, that one wild pigeon, in whose crop over 7000 weed 

 seeds were found, was as efficacious in destroying weeds as two 

 farm laborers. 



It is to be noted that no less an agricultural authority than 

 Professor Gilruth, of the Veterinary School, Melbourne University, 

 has given it as his deliberate opinion that the Australian farmer 

 would find life impossible without the aid of the detested Sparrow 

 as a weed destroyer. This is the judgment of a man whose 

 opinion is worthy of serious consideration. 



It is open to serious doubt if it pays commercially to kill indis- 

 criminately any kind of bird found on this continent. It may, 

 of course, happen that one individual bird has learnt where to get 

 an easy food supply at the expense of a farmer or orchardist. 

 Such a bird could be kept away. To kill birds at all times, 

 because of the damage done by a few at a particular time, is 

 foolish. 



On the lines of the American Audubon Society, the Gould 

 League of Bird Lovers has recently been established. Just as 

 Audubon was the great father of American ornithology, so "John 

 Gould, the bird man," was the father of Australian ornithology. 

 Hence his name has been associated with this movement to save 

 our birds. The movement is progressing by leaps and bounds. 



The Victorian branch has a very large body of members, about 

 40,000 certificates having already been issued to adults and 

 children. Tasmania has a branch in full operation. In South 

 Australia bird clubs are doing excellent work, especially amongst 

 the young people, and Queensland and New South Wales bird- 



