154 NiCHOLLs, A Trip to the Bass Valley. [ 



Vict. Nat. 

 Dec. 



22 and 23. — Mechanical sounds. The first, repeated rapidly, 

 sounded like " Choo, choo, choo, choo." This we after- 

 wards recognized as the sound made by the engines of 

 the heavy coal-laden trains as they puffed up a sharp 

 incline just outside the Nyora railway yard, some four 

 and a half miles distant from this valley. The other was 

 a soft note slowly repeated, and might have repre- 

 sented the sound of a broad axe at work on a log. 



24. — ^Two Magpies meeting in the air. This was a reproduction 

 of loud notes uttered when two Magpies meet in col- 

 lision in mid-air. 



25. — Coachwhip-bird. 



Whilst listening to this wonderful performance we caught 

 sight of one of the birds. From the rapidity with which the 

 calls were uttered, and the different directions in which they 

 were coming, we concluded that there were two birds engaged 

 in a rivalry of song. The bird we had seen discovered us, and, 

 crossing the creek, it climbed the slope we were on and came 

 round the back of us to within ten yards. It was a female. 

 This bird uttered not a note whilst we watched it, and all the 

 time it was on the move the mimicry continued. We then 

 walked forward to catch a sight of the singer, and got to within 

 twenty yards of the male bird when it broke cover. For a 

 moment we saw the bird, and then it disappeared, and we had 

 heard the last of the performance. We had been listening for 

 forty minutes, and for half an hour of that time had been within 

 25 to 30 yards of the Lyre-bird. 



Examining the ground, we found it scratched and turned in 

 all directions. No dancing-mound was to be seen, so the enter- 

 tainment was gone through whilst the birds, or at least the 

 female, was feeding. Just as we were preparing to leave the 

 spot, a series of shrill cries attracted us, and in a few seconds 

 the male and female Lyre-birds dashed past into the scrub. 

 They were the pair we had been watching, and passed so near 

 that we stretched out our hands to capture them. We searched 

 carefully for a nest, but without success. There are one or 

 two points of interest in connection with the behaviour of the 

 birds and the order in which the call notes of the various birds 

 followed one another. The female undoubtedly saw us, but 

 apparently gave no warning or alarm note of any kind ; and 

 she took no part whatever in the vocal performance. The 

 imitations were not always rendered in the full sequence given 

 in the list. Whilst both birds were undisturbed it was adhered 

 to, call following call in unbroken succession. But when the 

 female came over to us the song was interru]:)ted b}' pauses 



