THE LYRE-BIRD. 



Menura Superba Dames. 



PLATE XII. MALE AND FEMALE LYRE-BIRD. 



THE Lyre-bird a most beautiful bird, is a native of 

 Australia ; and, from its appearance, and the difficulty of 

 classifying it, it is an object of great interest to the natu- 

 ralist. M. Vieilkxt, in his work on the " Birds of Para- 

 dise," figures the Lyre-bird under the title of Paradisea 

 Parkinsoniana, in honor of J. Parkinson, Esq., of the Le- 

 verian Museum, through whose means he received a 

 drawing of it. Vieillot, however, was preceded in his 

 description by General Davies, who, in the year 1800, with 

 juster views respecting the bird in question, characterized 

 it in the " Linna?an Transactions," as the type of a new 

 genus, and gave it the appellation of Menura superba, 

 which is now its established title. 



With respect to the affinities or natural situation in the 

 arrangement of the feathered tribes, which the menura 

 holds, there is considerable difference of opinion among 

 ornithologists. Vieillot, as we have said, placed it among 

 the birds of paradise. Dr. Shaw and Dr. Latham place 

 it in the gallinaceous order, regarding it as allied to the 

 curassows, pheasants and fowls. Baron Cuvier places it 

 among the " passer eaux" or passerine order, observing 

 that although " its size has induced some to associate it 

 with the gallinaceous group, the lyre-bird evidently belongs 

 to the passerine order, its toes, except the outer and middle, 

 which are united together as far as the first joint, being 

 separated ; it comes near the thrushes in the form of the 

 beak, which is triangular at the base, and slightly com- 

 pressed and notched at the tip ; the membranous nostrils 

 are very large, and partially covered with feathers, as in 

 the jays. 



