^'"'ig^e^^J Cook, Notes on the Lyre-Bird. lOI 



Notes on the Lyre-Bird at Poowong, South 

 Gippsland. 



By L. C. Cook, R.A.O.U. 

 In the early days in Poovvong, when most of the land was covered 

 with virgin scrub, the majority of Lyre-Birds' nests that came 

 under my notice were built on the ground, presumably because 

 they were as safe there as anywhere else, for the native cat was 

 then their only enemy, and building in trees would not safeguard 

 them from these climbing marauders. At a later stage these 

 pests were exterminated, and for some years the birds enjoyed 

 security ; then came the fox, and gradually the practice of 

 building up in the air increased, till at the present time the 

 majority of nests now found in this district are built where the 

 fox cannot get at them. This apparently points to the fact that 

 through the agency of the fox, what was once an unusual 

 occurrence has now become an established habit in this district. 



The birds display extraordinary ingenuity in constructing their 

 nests on leaning trees. One came under my notice built on the 

 clean stem of a large musk that had only the slightest lean and 

 no limbs ; yet somehow they laid a secure foundation, and 

 finished a very pretty nest. As an engineering proposition this 

 was the cleverest I ever found. 



The following instance will show how efficacious the high- 

 building habit is in saving their lives : — My neighbour had a nice 

 reserve containing two males and six hens, while the one at the 

 back of our property at that time held only two males and four 

 hens. When my hens nested on the ground their eggs were 

 promptly removed as soon as laid, but my neighbour would on no 

 account allow his to be interfered with. After six years the 

 result was that I had eleven birds and five eggs, while my neigh- 

 bour had only one male and two hens left. 



Whether the male and female construct the nest together I am 

 unable of my own observation to say, but I know that the female 

 can manage it quite well by herself. A pair lived in a small and 

 isolated patch of scrub, and in course of time the male dis- 

 appeared ; I fear he was shot. At all events, his beautiful tones 

 were no longer heard, and for six years the hen lived in celibacy ; 

 yet three different seasons after losing her consort she built her 

 nest, laid in it, and sat on the e^g, finally deserting it. A yotmg 

 lady, knovv^ing of the sitting hen, took her mother to see it. 

 Creeping quietly to the nest, she threw her veil over the aperture, 

 captured the bird, examined and released it ; yet the hen returned 

 and resumed her sitting. My experience has been that the hen 

 will never desert her nest after the egg has been laid, but will 

 readily do so before the egg is laid should the. nest be touched. 



Once, when some scrub was being felled near the homestead, 

 the cutters found a nest with a chick in it. They bodily removed 

 both nest and inmate to a safe position some distance away ; the 

 mother followed and resumed her maternal offices. 



