Data 
No. 
576 
No. in 
A.J. 
Campbell's No. of 
Book. Eggs. 
THE JACKSONIAN OOLOGICAL COLLECTION. 
eggs, taken in the thick scrubs in the mountains at the head of the Hunter River, near Belltrees, north- 
east of Scone, N.S.W., are very light in the ground colouring, and two lately examined by me from that 
locality resembled very /ight and washed-out specimens of those of the Crested Sea Tern (Sverna dergit). 
QUEEN VICTORIA'S LYRE BIRD, 
Menura victoria, Gould. 
One egg, a clutch, which is a very long and pointed oval, and different to the three eggs already 
mentioned of the previous species. The ground colour is of a light purplish-grey, blotched with dark- 
brown and purplish-slate. The shell is minutely pitted all over. It measures = 2°51 x 1°62, and was 
taken at Gippsland, Victoria, on the 2nd of July, 1889, being forwarded to me by James A. Kershaw. 
The egg is very like some specimens of those of Menura superba, only it is more pointed at one end, 
and the pittings on the shell are more pronounced. ‘The bird is found in Victoria, and has also 
been frequently seen in the south-eastern portion of New South Wales, just across from the Victorian 
border. Both this and the previous species are very similar, and the casual observer can scarcely 
distinguish between them, as the general plumage of both is so much the same. In Victoria the brutal 
tail hunter is also in evidence, and is still to be found pursuing his work of destruction, notwithstanding 
the provisions of the Game Act, rapidly exterminating this beautiful Australian bird. It is time 
to check the ruthless destruction of bird life in Australia by the enactment and enforcement of proper 
laws. A crusade against bird destruction should be organized to traverse our continent, and progressive 
educators should inaugurate courses of natural study 
in our schools, which would include object lessons 
in bird life. The surest way to promote this senti- 
ment of bird /rotection is to induce our people to 
study the birds, and then they will find their incal- 
culable benefits to mankind. Apart from human 
foes, I understand the introduced Red Fox is playing 
havoc in Victoria, and the many bundles of blood- 
stained feathers of the Lyre and other birds which 
he leaves behind, bear testimony of what this 
plunderer feeds upon. 
PRINCE ALBERT’S LYRE BIRD, 
Menura alberti, Gould. 
One egg, a clutch. These eggs are becoming 
exceedingly rare, as the splendid Richmond River 
scrubs of New South Wales are so rapidly being 
cut down and destroyed. They have been the 
stronghold and natural habitat of these birds for 
many years past, and before very long this inter- PRINCE ALBERT’S LYRE BIRD (Menura alberti),Gould, 
esting species, which is already a vara avis, will be Showing the tail feathers, which are different to those 
‘ue of the other two species. 
for ever lost to us. I found five nests while in the (About one-eighth of the natural size), 
Richmond River scrubs at Booyong, in 1899, but (See data No. 576.) 
only succeeded in getting an egg from one of them, 
and that was very heavily incubated and difficult to blow ; the other four nests were very old ones, and, 
of course, “ blanks.” The egg is a fine specimen, somewhat pointed at one end, while the ground 
colour is of a rich purple-grey, and the extreme end of the larger apex possesses a dark cap of deep 
purplish-brown, with a few darker markings ; over the remainder of the egg are evenly scattered smaller 
markings of the same colour. In general appearance it is quite different to those of the other 
two Lyre Birds. The nest, which was built on top of that of the previous season, was as usual roughly 
constructed and dome-shaped, and was placed on the ground between the buttresses or spurs at the 
foot of a giant Large-leaved Fig tree (Ficus macyophylla), a sample of which is shown in a photograph 
134 
