250 ROBERTS, Prince Hdzcard's lyre Bird. K'^Ap"?!! 



tiles, "to whom they are a neighbour and near bred" : that the 

 Emu and the Raven, extremes in the bird world; present nothing 

 like the anatomical differences to be found between a lizard and 

 a chameleon, or between a turtle and a tortoise, allies in the 

 reptiles. It follows then that classification in birds is dependent 

 on characters, which would be considered insignificant in other 

 classes : characters determined as a rule by internal anatomists, 

 who have taken a special subject and worked it up. So it is not 

 surprising U) find that the diagnostic points of the order of 

 Menuri formes as laid down by Sharpe, consists of a series of 

 comparative anatomical details, not one of which is peculiar to 

 this order alone. Here it is: "Nestling thickly covered with 

 down ; f urcula complete ; sternum with a slight indentation near 

 the outer edge of the posterior margin ; plantar tarsi strongly 

 scutellated ; tail feathers greatly produced, and mostly devoid of 

 booklets ; tensor patagii muscle Picarian ; intrinsic muscles of the 

 syrinx fastened to the ends of the semi-rings of the trachea 

 (acromyotine) ; plantar tendons free." 



Mathews (B. of A., vol. 7, page 393) adds applied to com- 

 parative anatomy, saying: "Recent investigations have shown 

 that great stress can be laid on superficial features if these be 

 thoroughly studied, and that they assist in the interpretation of 

 anatomical characters. Future consideration of the.se birds 

 {M emtridae) must give full value to each, and a better alliance 

 will therefore be propounded, the present being undoubtedly un- 

 satisfactory." 



Therefore I ask permission to enlarge on superficial features. 



Flight and Movement Generally.— The movements which I 

 have described under the name "vol])laning" is this bird's chief, 

 if not its only method of flight (parachuting and glidmg are 

 modifications of it), and if the wings are moved it is simply for 

 balance, and not for propulsion. In jumping, the wings too may 

 be used sometimes as balancers, but this is the exception. Jump- 

 ing serves a dual purpose : first the ordinary every-day one of 

 getting to some higher place, e.g., the nest, etc., and .secondly, as 

 a preliminary to ])laning, without first attaining height on a rock 

 or tree. The former can be passed by, but in the field one cannot 

 but be struck by its grace, its efficiency, and its ease. The hen 

 can jump almost into the nest, and certainly clean out of it, and 

 I have already said there is absolutely no landing platform. The 

 other purpose is worthy of closer scrutiny, and T will quote an 

 example. The hen, for some reason unknown, will at times con- 

 ceal herself under a bush till you almost stumble on her, when 

 she bursts forth with a mighty jump, and if the lay of the land 

 is satisfactory immediately breaks into a volplane, and travel.^ 

 100 yards or more. Now this argues terrific initial muzzle 

 velocity, and involves great muscular effort. Combined with the 

 grasping action of the foot, which I have already alluded to, it 

 makes one wonder whether a re-examination of the feet, legs and 

 thighs in view of these facts would not reveal new material for 

 classification. The grasping action in the young bird is devel- 



