222 Chisholm, A New Mennra. [,sf April 



only the Albert Lyre-Bird ; that the class of country which it 

 inhabits is totally different from that favoured by other species 

 of the genus ; and that the type-locality is on the western watershed 

 of the Great Dividing Range. 



Elarly in 1919 I had a note relating to this subject from a lad 

 who lives at Lyra, a small township on the Sydney to Brisbane 

 railway line, and not far from the border of New South Wales. 

 In this letter it was remarked that Lyre-Birds were once abundant 

 in the locality, that some were still to be seen and heard, and 

 that the township itself had taken its name from the birds. 

 While not overlooking the fact that Shaw had used the specific 

 title lyra for the M. superha, it seemed to me hardly possible that 

 any member of this restricted genus should be found 100 miles 

 inland, and particularly in a locality carrying none of the jungle 

 vegetation so beloved of Lyre-Birds generally. Confirmation 

 came later in the year, however, when Dr. Spencer Roberts, 

 R.A.O.U., wrote me regarding the Lyre-Birds of the contiguous 

 district of Stanthorpe. He related that the birds dwelt upon 

 the lonely granite-strewn hills of the locality', and that their nests 

 were usually placed in the clefts of giant boulders. 



This was an invitation in itself. Accordingly, in the following 

 month (August), following the departure of the Royal train, I 

 took advantage of the occasion to drop off at Stanthorpe — which 

 town, by the way, is 198 miles by rail from Brisbane and 25 miles 

 by rail from the border of New South Wales. Three interesting 

 days among the birds of the locality were distinguished by close 

 acquaintance with the Lyix-Birds. We examined seven nests 

 in one afternoon, including two which each contained an egg ; 

 and in one case a female bird was flushed from the nest. In 

 every instance the nest was built on the side or sloping top of a 

 huge boulder, in perfectly open forest country. 



We did not see a male bird at any time, nor had we any desire 

 to secure one in the breeding season. Early in the present year, 

 however, I asked Dr. Roberts to take a specimen, at the sam.e 

 time furnishing him Mdth a special permit from the Queensland 

 Government. Dr." Roberts responded promptly, though, as a 

 sound bird-lover, the work " nearly broke his heart." The 

 specimen was examined in Brisbane, after which it was sent on 

 to Mr. A. J. Campbell for critical comparison with skins in the 

 " H. L. White Collection" in the Melbourne Museum. To this 

 national collection it was- subsequently donated. 



Gould admitted that the grounds upon which he separated M. 

 Victoria from the type-bird were slender ; nevertheless, he allowed 

 the species to stand, and it has held good as a variety to this day. 

 In the latest variant, as earlier suggested, the case for separation 

 is stronger. Nor do I think that additional material (from such 

 a "novel" locality) will tend to disprove this view. The upper 

 surface is fuscous, as against brownish (bay brown) in the type 

 of the genus and auburn in M. victoria. The under surface is 

 mouse-grey, compared with light fuscous (hair brown) in both 



