9178 Birds. 
Australian eggs, including that of the lyre-bird (Menwra superba), of 
which hitherto only a limited number of specimens has been obtained ; 
and pointed out that many further observations were still desirable for 
the completeness of information in this branch of Natural History. 
He remarked, in conclusion— 
One of the secondary causes of the often-noticed scarcity of birds in 
Australia, as compared with England, is undoubtedly that so many 
species here lay a much less number of eggs. Amongst the commoner 
of Australian birds, the honeyeaters (Meliphage) average two, and some 
species only one solitary egg; the wattlebirds (Antochere) two or three; 
the Sericornis tribe, three; the Zosterops, three; the wood swallows 
(Artamis) four, &c.; and this opinion is corroborated by the fact that 
the few exceptional species whose individuals are really numerous, 
such as the common quail (Coturnia pectoralis) and the parokeet 
tribe, are found to be large layers, the quail producing eleven to four- 
teen and the parokeets six to eight eggs. In England, nearly all our 
commoner birds average five, or at least four eggs, and there are many 
instances of a larger number. I said that this is a secondary cause, 
for reason at onte ascends higher in the scale and asks why it should 
be so arranged that only a limited average is produced? Is it that this 
country would, in the case of most species, not offer sufficient food of 
a suitable kind to maintain a greater number of individuals, and there- 
fore the all-balancing hand of Nature has struck the present adjust- 
ment as the true one between supply and consumption? Or, to change 
the line of inquiry, can we entertain the notion of a more recent origin 
of Australia, and thence deduce that the scarcity of animal life is in 
some degree owing to the fact that the same amount of time has not 
elapsed as in the older countries to enable this continent to be stocked 
up to its full capability? However this latter may be, it is certain 
that the rate of reproduction, as represented in the instance of most 
Australian birds, cannot be proceeding at a rate nearly equal to the 
annual increase in many other countries. In order to investigate fully 
this subject of the abundance or scarcity of animal life, it would, how- 
ever, be necessary to take into account the different destroying causes 
in the countries under comparison, as well as the reproducing ones; 
and altogether the matter is one which deserves more than the few 
hasty glances here incidentally bestowed upon it. 
a 
i 
