May-"] O'DoNOGHUE, Nn/e<i on Viclorian Lvre-hird. i -i 



1914 J J 



evidently been a strong make of quartz. Over thirty years had 

 elapsed since the mine had been abandoned, so that Nature 

 had had ample time to repair the ravages wrought by man in 

 its immediate neighbourhood. The only evidence of his 

 handiwork was the gaping hole and dump on the hillside and a 

 few bleached and decaying stumps and logs that still bore the 

 marks of his ruthless axe. 



It was the varied series of calls, arising from this spot, that 

 attracted my attention one morning, ancl induced me to quit 

 a small track along which I was journeying, and to venture 

 with excessiv^e caution amid the undergrowth in expectation 

 of beholding the ornithological marvel of mimicry. Stealthy 

 though my approach had been, my appearance on the crest 

 of the tip was immediately noted by the female, who emitted 

 a shrill, tremulous note, quitted her nest, and glided into the 

 mazes of the surrounding vegetation. The male bird promptly 

 vacated the dancing mound at the alarm signal, but proceeded 

 only a few yards when his panic gave place to curiosity. 

 Pausing, he glanced keenly around, and at once detected my 

 presence. For the space of a minute neither moved a muscle. 

 I regarded the bird with mingled feelings of amusement and 

 speculation, whilst curiosity and suspicion were admirably 

 portrayed in its mien. Sinking cautiously to a recumbent 

 position, I maintained my scrutiny till it became irksome, 

 whereupon I flicked a piece of clay slate towards the bird. The 

 action, contrary to my expectation, was received with mani- 

 festations of delight instead of fear. The piece of slate was 

 crooned over, pecked, scratched, and jumped upon as if it 

 were a grub or worm that required a little massage to render 

 it palatable. This proved but a prelude to a much better 

 acquaintance, for, from the tip, I subsequently very often 

 viewed the bird's antics on the dancing mound and pelted him 

 with pieces of quartz and Silurian rock till my arm aclied. 

 During the fusillade tlie bird would be tripping about the 

 mound with the tail slightly expanded and but slightly elevated, 

 uttering the while a low, tremulous note, and evidencing, 

 apparently, an utter contempt for my marksmanship. The 

 manner in which it timed the flight, and the comparative ease 

 with which it avoided the missiles, proved conclusively that, 

 despite its assumed carelessness, it watched every movement 

 I made with the minutest attention. A temporary retirement 

 from the scene of hostilities occasionally took place when several 

 niissiles, directed with more than ordinary accuracy and in 

 rapid succession, disarranged the bird's tail feathers, but the 

 mound was not abandoned till my near approach rendered 

 such a course necessary. The bird undoubtedly enjoyed these 

 ncounters, and with assumed curiositv would examine the 



