246 Mattingley, Production of Podargus Call. [isf i)"ec. 



Production of Podargus Call 



(Accepted as read before the Brisbane session R.A.O.U.) 



By a. H. E. Mattingley, C.M.Z.S. 



Some time ago a gentleman remarked to me that he had a Podargus 

 {Podargus skigoidcs) which had the feathers of one wing cut off. 

 He intended to destroy it, because he had grown tired of feeding 

 it, and on account of the bird not being able to fly away when 

 liberated. Desiring to save the life of the interesting nocturnal 

 bird, I obtained it, and released it in my garden at Kew, Victoria. 

 I resolved to feed it until it could fly away and hunt for itself. 

 The bird gradually became fairly tame, and readily took pieces 

 of meat from my hand. Any stray mice that I captured it ate 

 ravenously. In course of time it started its hooting call during 

 the night, and occasionally a wild mate, attracted by its nocturne, 

 would make its appearance. These birds became so accustomed 

 to my proximity to them that they allowed me to get within a 

 few feet of them whilst they were calling. I was enabled thereby 

 to observe how the Podargus' hooting note was produced. With 

 its head elevated at an angle of about 30 degrees, with its bill 

 fully closed, and with throat distended, the bird pulsates its throat, 

 giving forth a rapid vibrating note, sounding at a distance like 

 " Oom-oom-oom-oom-oom," but when close to the bird the call 

 of a single " 00m " or hoot I found consists of two notes produced 

 not unlike " Too-roo, too-roo, too-roo," emitted in an almost con- 

 tinuous delivery, ranging from 14 " ooms " or hoots to 158 " ooms " 

 without cessation. From lengthy observations I was able to 

 ascertain that the greatest number of notes was produced on 

 moonlight nights, especially about 11 o'clock. Sometimes the 

 bird uttered a few hoots during the daytime. This occurred 

 more often about 6 p.m. On several occasions I timed the 

 duration of the calls, and found them uttered at about 6 " ooms " 

 to the second. As a rule, there is the succession of calls uttered 

 by the bird, ranging from 2 seconds' to about 27 seconds' duration. 

 The whole series of calls were emitted during the space of about 

 3 minutes. Generally, the Podargus started its call in subdued 

 tones, the full volume of sound being reached after a few hoots. 

 The subdued tones had a ventriloquial effect. 



For many years past I have taken notice of the Podargus in 

 their, home in the bush, but I have never yet heard them utter 

 the familiar call of " mopoke," which note some persons attribute 

 to this bird, although I have made special efforts to ascertain the 

 truth of their statements. 



Omission. — The name of Dr. Ronald Hamlyn Harris, of the 

 Queensland Museum, should be added to the list of members from 

 Queensland who joined the R.A.O.U. 



