LYJIE PHEASANT. 277 



being unable to parry their jokes, slie threw 

 the garment aside, and never afterwards resumed 

 it ; she then went about perfectly naked, innocent, 

 and unconscious of shame. 



To express delight the natives utter a quick 

 or rapid succession of whistling sounds. They 

 have some idea of the fine arts, as I judged 

 from some rude sketches made by a native lad 

 in ray presence. He took a piece of charcoal 

 and sketched some figures upon a sheet of bark, 

 which formed part of the roof of the low hut ; 

 blackee called them " white fellers," and seemed 

 much amused at the idea. 



The " Native or Wood-pheasant," or " Lyre 

 bird" of the colonists, the ^'' Menura superha'' 

 of naturalists, and the " Beleck, beleck," and 

 " Balangara" of the aboriginal tribes, is abun- 

 dant about the mountain ranges, in all parts of 

 the colony; the tail of the male bird is very 

 elegant, but the remainder of the plumage in the 

 male, and the whole of that of the female, is 

 destitute of beauty. The tail of the male bears 

 a striking resemblance, in its graceful form, to 

 the harmonious lyre of the Greeks, from which 

 circumstance it has received the name of the 

 " Lyre bird" of Australia. The tail-feathers, 

 detached entire from the bird, are sought for by 

 collectors for their beauty, and are sold in the 



