396 



at 



New South Wales : it inhabits equally the 

 brushes on the coast, and those that clothe 

 the sides of the mountains in the interior. 

 " Of all the birds I have ever met with," 

 says Mr. Gould, " the Menura is by far the 

 most shy and difficult to procure. While 



among the brushes I have been surrounded 

 by these birds, pouring forth their loud and 

 liquid calls, for days together, without being 

 able to get a sight of them ; and it was only 

 by the most determined perseverance and 

 extreme caution that I was enabled to effect 

 this desirable object." The Lyre-bird is 

 constantly engaged in traversing the brush 

 from one end to the other, from mountain- 

 top to the bottom of the gullies whose steep 

 and rugged sides present no obstacle to its 

 long legs ana powerful muscular thighs. 

 When running quickly through the bush 

 they carry the tail horizontally, that being 

 the only position in which it could be borne 

 at such times. 



Besides its loud full call, which may be 

 heard at a great distance, it has an inward 

 and varied song, the lower notes of which 

 can only be heard when you have stealthily 

 approached to within a few yards of the bird 

 while it is singing. Its habits appear to be 

 solitary, seldom more than a pair being seen 

 together. It constructs a large nest, formed 

 on the outside of sticks and twigs, like that 

 of a magpie, and lined with the inner bark 

 of trees and fibrous roots. The eggs are two 

 in number, of a light colour, freckled with 

 spots of red. The general colour of the plu- 

 mage is brown ; the secondary wing-feathers 

 nearest the body, and the outer webs of the 

 remainder, rich rufous brown ; upper tail- 

 coverts tinged with rufous ; chin and front 

 of the throat rufous, all the under surface 

 brownish ash-colour ; upper surface of the 

 tail blackish brown ; under surface silvery 

 gray, becoming very dark on the external 

 web of the outer feather ; the inner webs 

 fine rufous, crossed by numerous transparent 



bands ; the margin of the inner web and 

 tips black ; bare space round the eye of a 

 dark lead colour ; legs and feet black. The 

 female is destitute of this singularly formed 

 tail, and in having the bare space round the 

 eye less extensive. 



LYTTA. [See CANTHAIJIDES.] 

 MACATJCO. A genus of quadrumanous 



animals nearly approaching the Monkey 



tribe. [See LEMUR.] 



MACAW. These magnificent birds be- 

 long to the Psittaculoi, or Parrot tribe, and 

 are distinguished by having their cheeks 

 destitute of feathers, and their tail-feathers 



long. They are all natives of the tropical 

 regions of South America ; and abound in 

 the swampy grounds which are covered with 

 palm-trees, the fruit of which they are par- 

 ticularly fond of. They generally appear 

 in pairs, and are always observed to perch 

 on the summits of trees, or on the highest 

 branch. During the dav they wander to the 



distance of about a league from their favour- 

 ite spot or home, but always return in the 

 evening. They build their nests in the 

 hollow of decayed trees ; and lay twice in 

 the year, generally two eggs at a time. The 

 male and female share alternately in the 

 labour of incubation, &c. When young they 



