THE LYRE-BIRD. 



{Menura superba.) 



LYNDS JONES. 



IF AUSTRALIA were noted for no 

 other thing than the ancient and 

 strange animal forms which are to 

 be found nowhere else on the earth, 

 it would still be a wonderful continent. 

 Not the least remarkable of these forms 

 is the lyre-bird, the subject of the 

 present sketch. Since its discovery on 

 January 24, 1798, by one Wilson, it has 

 been handed about among the different 

 orders of birds by different systemat- 

 ists until its anatomy seemed to give it 

 a more or less permanent place among 

 the birds of passerine form, in spite of 

 its fowl-like build and strong legs and 

 large feet. 



The appearance of the bird, except 

 the superb tail, is not remarkable; but 

 paradoxical as it may be, the tail 

 is the bird's crowning glory, at 

 once giving it a name and fame. Like 

 many other cumbersome things, the 

 lyre-bird's tail is used for ornament 

 during a part of the year only, being 

 donned at the mating season and doffed 

 at the close of the nesting period. It 

 assumes the lyre-shape only when vol- 

 untarily spread, appearing simply as a 

 long, greatly developed tail at other 

 times. The bird thfows up a mound of 

 earth, dome-shaped, which serves as a 

 raised platform or stage well suited to 

 tail spreading and othercourtingantics. 

 Strutting and wing-dragging are ac- 

 companiments of the tail spreading, 

 and strongly suggest gallinaceous affln- 

 ities, especially since the bird is the 

 size of the ordinary barn-yard fowl. 



In habits the lyre-bird is lowly, pre- 

 ferring the ground to bushes or trees, 

 and running from danger rather than 

 flying, the strong legs and feet permit- 

 ting a swift retreat. Rarely the bird 

 may mount a tree, ascending branch by 

 branch instead of flying up at once. 

 They are said to use the wings to aid 



them in running, and in hopping up- 

 ward in the trees. They are so wary 

 and timid that it is difficult to secure 

 specimens except by resorting to de- 

 ception or the use of dogs. The bark- 

 ing of the dogs drives them into the 

 trees, allowing the hunter a fair mark. 

 They are inhabitants of the dense brush 

 from which it is next to impossible to 

 dislodge them. 



Authorities agree that the lyre-bird's 

 powers of song are remarkable. It 

 seems to have the power of mocking 

 almost every other bird, as well as the 

 barking of the dingo, besides possess- 

 ing a sweet song of its own. One au- 

 thor states that for the first two hours 

 of the morning it repeats over again -its 

 own song, then gradually changes it to 

 imitate other birds, ending its four-hour 

 song period with imitations of all the 

 other birds within hearing, then re- 

 maining silent for the rest of the day. 



The nest is a dome-shaped affairwith 

 the opening in one side, made of "small 

 sticks, interwoven with moss and fibers 

 of roots." "The single eg^ laid is of a 

 very dark color, appearing as if it had 

 been blotched over with ink." The 

 young emerges from the egg a downy 

 white ball, perfectly helpless, and re- 

 mains in the nest for several weeks. 

 The food seems to consist of insects, 

 myriapods, and snails, of which large 

 quantities must be destroyed to satisfy 

 a bird of this size. 



This is another of the world forms 

 which are doomed to complete extinc- 

 tion. It is to be earnestly hoped that 

 the time of its disappearance will await 

 a more careful study of its habits than 

 has been accomplished thus far. A 

 study of these curious forms can hardly 

 fail to throw much light upon the de- 

 velopment of the bird fauna of the 

 world. 



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