^''\ii^^] TRECxELLAS, Xotcs on the Lyrc-Bird. 103 



birds ahways have the light-coloured egg. Xo. 2 nest was com- 

 plete, but still empty. No. 3 nest was finished, and now con- 

 tained feathers and a small egg of dark purple with almost im- 

 l)erceptil)le lilackish spots and blotches. Xo. 4 nest was greatly 

 enlarged from my previous visit, and beginning to assume 

 rotundity. 



On the 20th I examined another gully, and though a female 

 was giving that i)eculiar "Call-oh, call-oh," which denotes 

 proximity to a nest, I was unsuccessful. On the 22nd I called 

 at No. 1 nest, and saw the hen's head protruding, so stole quietly 

 away. The male warned her of my approach, but she stayed 

 in the nest. I worked most of the day clearing the track for 

 the expected visit of the Earl and Countess of Stradbroke, and 

 the next day heard that they were coming for the week-end. 



The 24th was a memorable day in the annals of Selby, as 

 His Excellency the Governor and his lady arrived, and were 

 conducted to the haunts of the Lyre-Bird in the mountain 

 ranges. 



It was a beautiful day for the trip, as the sun shone brightly 

 and there was an absence of rain and wind. Everything turned 

 out exactly as I promised them. Not only did they see the 

 dancing-mounds, nests, and eggs, but the males were calling 

 beautifully in the vicinity. A female most obligingly perched 

 on an overhead limb and regaled them with a remarkable series 

 of calls. After picking a lovely bunch of Sassafras the visitors 

 left for home, highly delighted with the result of the outing. 



On the 27th the egg in Xo. 1 nest was cold, and evidently had 

 not been sat on that day. I called at the nest again on the 

 31st, and found the egg lukewarm, the hen bird probably being 

 out feeding. August 5th saw me again on the rounds. At No. 

 1 and 2 nests the eggs were warm, but that at No. 3 cold and 

 wet. No. 4 was still unfinished and looked as if deserted. On 

 the hillside on my return journey I flushed three feeding females. 

 I brought down the camera, which had been for over a month 

 in the hollow log. 



At Xo. 1 nest on the 10th the bird was sitting, and I didn't 

 disturb her. At No. 2 nest the egg had been sat on, but was 

 nearly cold. On the lltli I searched another gully where I 

 knew a pair of birds was nesting, and found the nest (No. 5) in 

 a tree-fern 15 feet up. It was finished, but contained no egg. 



On the 12th I was again in the gully, and saw the hen fly 

 out of Xo. 1 nest, and the eggs were also warm in No. 2 and 

 No. 3 nests. On the 13th we watched the male of Xo. 5 nest 

 calling in a big blackwood. On the 14th the egg was warm in 

 No. 1, also in No. 2 and in No. 3, but none of the hens was 

 seen. Then nest No. 6 was located, about 25 feet up on the 

 side of a big mountain-ash, but on account of inaccessibility was 

 ■not examined. This is a very large nest, and was found after 

 much searching. 



