174 INSECTIVORCfUS BIRDS 



or Native Bear, the barking of the selector's dog, the noise 

 of the splitter's saw, or the clinking of his axe against the 

 metal wedge, all alike are perfectly reproduced in the 

 throat of this most singular feathered mimic." Now, the 

 (juestion, raised possibly for the first time, is whether this 

 is a mocking-bird in the true sense — vocally, not anatomic- 

 ally ? I give the substance of a letter to me by Mr. T. W. 

 De Lany, of Omeo : — " The Lyre-bird is generally thought to 

 be a mocking-bird, but after quite twenty years amongst them 

 I am of the opposite opinion, as I never heard them imitate 

 anything whatever beyond the ordinary round that they 

 all have, and e'very one exactly alike. The notes of the 

 birds that they use, in my opinion, have been acquired 

 many ages ago, when their ancestors were imitators, and 

 have now become set and hereditary. A friend of mine 

 years ago had a young cock bird, and although it was taken 

 from the nest, and never had an opportunity of hearing 

 other birds, it whistled the same as those in the scrub. At 

 the time I did not quite believe it, but since I do. Only 

 yesterday I was out looking for Wonga Pigeons, when I 

 shot a yearling Lyre-bird, with a tail the same as a hen, 

 and it was whistling just as any old bird does on his 

 dancing heap." On this matter I should be glad to have ex- 

 pressions of opinion. My own is, the male inherits a series 

 of notes and quickly learns more with the opportunity. 

 The Buln-Buln, as it is sometimes called, is protected 

 from damage by Act of Parliament, and rightly so, because 

 of its insectivorous habits and natural unique structure. 

 The food varies between insects and very lowly organisms ; 

 snails and crustaceans help to support it. Although not a 

 frequenter of the gardens of pioneer settlers in our wilds of 

 heavy rainfall, it is closely associated with the surroundings. 

 Maize, potato and other crops that flourish in moist lands 



