^'"'i' 2^^'] Jackson, Second Trip lo Macphen^ov Eanf^e, Q. jgy 



mimicry of other birds. It is wonderful how these birds locahze 

 themselves. The other male Scrub-Birds located by us last year 

 were all found calling at exactly tlie same old places during this 

 visit. 



On 28th September we got within 20 feet of an Atrichornis 

 calling loudly and carrying on his clever mimicry of the notes of 

 the Goshawk {Astiir nova-hollandia), Lewin's Honey-eater {Ptilolh 

 lewinii), Yellow-rumped Robin {Eopsaltria chrysorrhoa), and the 

 peculiar fussy squawk or scolding note of the Coachwhip-Bird 

 {Psophodes crepitans), as well as the loud notes of the Spine-tailed 

 Log-runner {Orthonyx spinicauda) . 



Within 70 feet of where an Albert Lyre-Bird {Memira alhcrti) 

 was giving a concert of mimicry we located an Alyichornis 

 mimicking various scrub-birds, including the Coachwhip-Bird' s 

 " scolding " note. We later heard one make several efforts to 

 reproduce the loud "whip-crack" note. The Atrichornis was 

 the only bird heard calling during the heavy gales, and it was 

 surprising how wonderfully loud and shrill the notes were for 

 such a small bird. When about 15 feet or so from an Atrichornis 

 calling loudly the great vibration fairly rang in our ears — 

 " Ziz-ziz-ziz." 



One day we observed one up off the ground 2 feet, sitting on a 

 vine in dense undergrowth, and calling loudly ; this did not often 

 occur. At times the bird renders a note resembling that made 

 by a rat when caught in a trap or by a dog. The loud and con- 

 tinual " Chit " or ordinary note of the male sounds like tapping 

 a thin sheet of metal on a solid block of iron rapidly with' a small 

 hammer. This effect we noticed particularly with the bird opposite 

 our camp, where he rendered his loud " Chit " in a most inde- 

 fatigable manner, usually uttering it or 12 times in rapid 

 succession. 



Early in October we had an interesting experience when 

 surrounding a male Atrichornis in an isolated heap on a sloping 

 creek-bank. He made several attempts to -escape, but by keen 

 watching we kept him in for some 'time. The more agitated the 

 bird became the more the tail was cocked and the small wings 

 drooped. John Gould figured this bird correctly in his great 

 work on " The Birds of Australia," and this is the only correct 

 figure I have seen. The bird now repeatedly called, and we 

 worked closer to the heap, while he peeped at us from various 

 points of vantage. He moved each time hke magic, and on 

 seeing we were surrounding his retreat he ran- across a fairly open 

 space, and then actually flew or fluttered at least 10 feet in a 

 most awkward manner, keeping about one foot above the ground. 

 This is the first time, to my knowledge, that this small-winged 

 bird has been seen flying. Apparently it will do so for short 

 distances only, when hard pressed. Hunting this bird previously 

 by myself, its chances of escaping were greater, and there was no 

 necessity for it to fly. We met the birds up to 3,900 feet eleva- 

 tion. They became silent again in November, as in 1919. By 



