Vol. XXVIII. 



igi 



] NiCHOLLs, A Trip to the Bass Valley. 153 



— the Harmonious Thrush, Wattle-birds, Pennant's Parrakeet, 

 Grey Magpies, and others. We were on the look-out for the 

 Lyre-bird, but had not seen it or heard its call. Then, in a 

 flash, we realized we had been listening to the bird for some 

 minutes. The rapid succession of different calls from unseen 

 birds forced the truth upon us. We concluded the Lyre-birds 

 were not more than 200 yards from us, and started to locate 

 them. Stepping, slipping, and falling quietly down hill through 

 the dense undergrowth, we got to within thirty yards of them. 

 Then we seated ourselves and listened to the most wonderful 

 and beautiful series of bird notes it has been our good fortune 

 to hear. For several minutes we sat in a spell of delight, and 

 then, recovering, copied down on the spot the calls as they 

 were imitated. And when we say imitated we mean more 

 than the word conveys, for every note and sound was a perfect 

 reproduction of the call of the bird mimicked, and, as Mr.' 

 Milligan declared, was rendered with more grace and finish 

 than it would be by the original itself. 



The following is the list of calls, taken down at the time : — 



I. — Native Bear. 



2. — Young Magpie being fed. 



J. — Boobook Owl (deep, guttural, and a perfect imitation). 



4. — White-throated Thickhead. 



5, 6, and 7. — Three calls of the Harmonious Thrush — first, the 

 single high-pitched alarm note ; second, the " Choked, 

 choked with a cherry " call ; third, a second alarm call, 

 consisting of several notes pitched in the same key. 



cS. — Starling. " The indrawn whistle," likened by Mr. Milligan 

 to the swish of a rocket. 



g. — The Satin Bower-bird. 



10. — Butcher-bird. 



II.— Wattle-bird. 



12. — Whistling Eagle. 



ij. — Black Cockatoo. 



14. — Alarm notes of a flock of startled parrots. In mimicking 

 these notes the fluttering and winnowing sounds of the 

 wings of the rising birds were accurately represented. 



15. — Pennant's Parrakeet. 



16. — Magpie's alarm note. , 



17. — Scrub- Wren. 



18. — Acanthiza ptisiUa (scolding note.). 



19. — Laughing Jackass (the gurgling notes at the beginning of 

 the laugh only). 



20. — Strepera. 



21. — Creaking of tree limbs moved by the wind. 



