330 SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



gives the following account of this curious and interesting 

 bird: 



" I was awakened/' he writes, (s at sunrise by the singing 

 of numerous pheasants. These are the mocking-birds of 

 Australia, imitating all sounds that are heard in the bush in 

 great perfection. They are about the size of a small fowl, of 

 a dirty brown colour, approaching to black in some parts; 

 their greatest attraction consists in the magnificent tail of the 

 cock bird, which is in shape exactly like a lyre; but little is 

 known of their habits, for it is seldom they are found near 

 the dwellings of civilized man. 



" Hearing one scratching in the scrub close to the dray, I 

 crawled out, gun in hand, intending to provide a fresh meal 

 for breakfast. The sun having just risen, inclined it to com- 

 mence its morning song; but the natural note (bleu-bleu) 

 was almost lost amongst the multitude of imitative sounds 

 through which it ran croaking like a crow, then screaming 

 like a cockatoo, chattering like a parrot, and howling like a 

 native dog, until a stranger might have fancied that he was 

 in the midst of them all. 



" Creeping cautiously round a point of scrub, I came in 

 view of a large cock bird, strutting round in a circle, scratch- 

 ing up the leaves and mould with his formidable claws, whilst 

 feeding upon the small leech, which is the torment of travel- 

 lers, and spreading open his beauteous tail to catch the rays 

 of the sun as it broke through the dense forest. As I raised 

 my gun, a piece went off within six feet of me ; it was one 

 of the black police, who had blown the bird's head off that 

 had been amusing me for more than an hour. 



" These birds, when disturbed, never rise high, but run off 

 into the densest scrub, scarcely allowing the sportsman time 

 to raise his piece before they are out of his reach. Even the 

 aborigines, who are so skilful in creeping up to game of all 

 kinds, seldom kill more than one or two in a day. Their 



