NOTES ON THE VICTORIA LYRE BIRD. 373 



Gibbo Eange, INIount Wild Boar, Mount Bogong, Mount Stirling, in 

 Benanibra, Victoria, and on the high timbered spurs of Mount 

 Kosiciusko, New South Wales." Once, when camped, on IVIarch 20, 

 189G', on the summit of Mount Wild Boar, at an altitude of over 

 5,000 feet, I was awakened shortly after sunrise hy beautiful and 

 spirited whistling outside the tent entrance. On jumping up I found 

 a male bird peering into the tent from a branch only a few feet away. 

 After putting the camera together as hastily as circumstances per- 

 mitted I had the mortification of seeing the bird glide away into the 

 thick scrub just as I was about to take the photograph. Mr. Bain- 

 bridge informs me that he has heard during the winter, a lyre bird 

 whistling on Mount Buffalo at an altitude of 3,500 feet and quite 

 close to snow. 



Lyre birds are very inquisitive when found in districts or places 

 where they have not been molested by man. On passing through 

 such country one is sometimes escorted for some distance by these 

 birds, which pass from tree to tree along the line of march. I have been 

 informed by Messrs. W. Baragwanath, jr., and J. Easton, that once 

 when they Avere surveying a line on the flanks of INIount Baw liaw a 

 female bird came close up to the chain, Avatched it intently, and fol- 

 lowed it as it was dragged along. Every time they made a noise the 

 bird gave the well-known alarm whistle and darted into the scrub.j 

 to return almost immediately and repeat these tactics for some time. 

 On another occasion, in a creek near Mount Useful, a male bird 

 \ iewed them from blackwood trees (\0 to 70 feet high and disappeared 

 only after several sticks had l)een thrown at him. On other occa- 

 sions they have brought these birds close \\\) to themselves by whistling 

 the birds' own notes, in the same way that the king lory can be 

 decoyed. 



Unlike some of the native birds which give their songs at certain 

 times through the day, lyre birds may be heard in their haunts 

 any time from dawn till dusk, regardless of the nature of the 

 weather. On a misty day, when steady, light rain is falling, they 

 may, j^erhaps, be said to be heard to the greatest advantage. 



Lyre l)irds are inveterate scratchers and are almost unceasingly 

 at such work, somewhere or othei- in tlu' bush. They must do a 

 great deal of good by destroying myriads of insects destructive 

 to vegetation. Unwittingly they also do a certain amount of harm, 

 by partially obliterating tracks, filling iii) side cuttings and survey 

 trenches, and uprooting or burying survey pegs. Some years ago 



« Hitherto Monira ivctoria has been ret-orded for Victoria only, but it is natu- 

 ral to suppose that the same species is found in the rani^es extending over the 

 border of New South Wales. It is probable that M. supcrha is not found south 

 of the Blue Mountains. If it exist farther south, it would be interesting to Qnd 

 where the two species iuusculute, if not intergrade. — Eds. 



