THE LYRE-BIRD. 99 



and the feathers are perfectly webbed on both sides of the 

 shaft, although their texture is soft and flowing. In the 

 male the tail consists of sixteen feathers ; of these (see the 

 plate) the outer one on each side is broadly but loosely 

 webbed within, its outer web being narrow ; as it proceeds 

 it curves outwards, bends in, and again turns boldly out- 

 wards and downwards, both together resembling the frame- 

 work of an ancient lyre, of which the intermediate feathers 

 are the strings ; these feathers, except the two central, 

 which are truly but narrowly webbed on the outer side, 

 consist each of a slender shaft, with long filamentous bu- 

 bules, at a distance from each other, and springing out al- 

 ternately. The appearance of these feathers, the length 

 of which is about two feet, is peculiarly graceful ; their 

 color is amber brown, but the two outer tail feathers are 

 gray, tipped with black, edged with rufous, and transversely 

 marked on the inner web with transparent, triangular bars. 

 The general plumage of the menura is amber brown above, 

 tinged with olive, and merging into rufous on the wings, 

 and also on the throat. The under parts are ashy gray. 

 With respect to the habits of the lyre-bird, much yet re- 

 mains to be known. Shaw, in the account he collected, 

 observes that its powers of song are very great. " At the 

 early part of the morning it begins to sing, having a very 

 fine natural note ; and, gradually ascending some rocky 

 eminence, scratches up the ground in the manner of some 

 of the pheasant tribe, elevating its tail, and at intervals im- 

 itating the notes of every other bird within hearing; and 

 having continued this exercise for about two hours, again 

 descends into the valleys or lower grounds." 



It is in the hilly districts of Australia that the menura is 

 to be found ; and its manners are shy and recluse. It is 

 almost exclusively terrestrial, seldom taking wing, and, 

 when forced to do so, flying with labor and difficulty. Dr. 

 Latham remarks, ' It is said that it will frequently imitate 

 the notes of other birds, so as to deceive most people ;" 



