64f NATURAL HISTOBY SKETCHES. 



birds are not seen till they are pretty well feathered ; I 

 never met with this bird in a wild state. 



The Native Pheasant is the Lyre-bird of naturalists, 

 and the " bulla-bulla" bird of the natives, from its call- 

 note, and is by no means rare in the peculiar localities 

 which they frequent, the most secluded gullies in certain 

 high ranges. They were common in some of the gullies 

 on the Dandenong ranges, up the Plenty ranges, at the 

 head of the Tarra, and up the Bass Eiver, on the eastern 

 coast of Western-port Bay ; but I never heard of one 

 being killed on the west side of that bay. There is 

 nothing handsome in the general plumage of the native 

 pheasant ; it is about as large as the pheasant at home, 

 the body dull-coloured brown ; but the beauty of the 

 bird consists in the tail of the male, which is very long, 

 the feathers clothed with fibres like those of the birds 

 of paradise, in the form of a lyre, the two outer feathers 

 curved outwards, like those of the black-cock at home. 

 It is one of the shiest birds in the world, rarely seen on 

 the wing, but keeps on the ground among the thickest 

 scrub and fallen timber. It is a perfect mocking-bird, 

 and the only way to shoot them is to lie still and call 

 them. It is little use in a white man going after them 

 without the assistance of a black. The blacks make 

 periodical excursions up into the ranges, about Sep- 

 tember, when the birds are full-feathered, and come 

 back laden with tails. Just as I left Melbourne, I saw 

 the nest and egg of this bird brought down from the 

 Plenty ranges. The nest was large and domed, the egg 



