542 



The Living Animals of the World 



Photo by D. U Soue.f\ 



VICTORIAN LYRE-BIRD. 



[Melbourne. 



Lyre-birds, which are also known to the colonists as " Pheasants," are 

 great mimics. 



all of which are confined to South America. They 

 must be sought for, as a rule, in the forests or 

 thick undergrowth of marshy places. 



The Manakin Family contains several species 

 of considerable interest, on account of the peculiar 

 modifications which certain of the quill-feathers 

 of the males have undergone. In some species 

 what are known as the secondary quill-feathers 

 are peculiarly twisted, and have the shafts much 

 thickened. With these modified feathers the 

 birds are enabled, probably by clapping the 

 wings and bringing the thickened feathers 

 violently together, to make a sharp sound, which 

 has been likened to the crack of a whip. Other 

 species have the quill-feathers of the hand the 

 primaries, as they are called similarly thickened, 

 and they probably are also used to produce 

 sounds. 



One species is known as the BAILADOR, or 

 DANCER, on account of a very remarkable habit 

 which the males have of dancing. Two males, 

 choosing some secluded spot, select a bare twig, 



The nesting habits of the Chatterers 

 vary greatly, some building nests of mud 

 and twigs, which they fasten on projections 

 of rock in damp caves ; others simply lining 

 holes in trees with dry grass. Some build 

 a cup-shaped nest of lichens, others a simple 

 platform of sticks, whilst some of the THICK- 

 BILLED CHATTERERS hang large nests of 

 leaves, plant-stalks, and wool from low 

 branches^ the entrance to the nest being 

 from a hole in the side. The eggs vary 

 in number among the different species 

 from two to four, and in colour may be 

 white, chocolate, pale salmon-coloured, or 

 greenish blue, and are for the most part 

 spotted. 



Closely allied to the Cocks-of-the-rock 

 are the MANAKINS, for the most part small 

 and thick-set birds, and in many instances 

 brilliantly coloured at least in the case of 

 the males. Some seventy species are known, 



Photoby W. Saville-Kent, F.Z.S.] (.Mil/ord-on-Sea. 



TAIL OF AUSTRALIAN LYRE-BIRD. 

 This ornamental tail is worn only by the male. 



