688 MR. BARTLETT ON THE HABITS OF THE LYRE-BIRD. [JuUC 27, 



The following papers were read: — 



1 . Notes on the Habits of the Lyre-bird in Captivity. 

 By A. D. BartletTj Superintendent of the Society's Gardens. 



On the 9th of April last, the Society acquired a fine example of 

 the Lyre-bird {Menura superba). It was a young bird, having been 

 reared from the nest, and was consequently in immature plumage ; 

 we therefore were unable to determine its sex. This bird, consi- 

 dering its size, is perhaps the most active and quickest-moving bird 

 known ; its large and powerful legs and feet enable it to run with 

 amazing swiftness ; it also jumps or hops not only with great rapi- 

 dity, but to almost incredible distances. These facts have been 

 repeatedly slated by persons who have seen the bird in its native 

 haunts ; and its shy and wary habits have been frequently described. 



Notwithstanding the well-known wildness of the species when at 

 liberty, the individual now under consideration is most remarkable 

 for its tameness ; it will come readily to the call of the keeper and 

 perch upon his hand or arm, and in the most gentle manner search 

 his hand or anything he may hold in it for food. Li doing this it ex- 

 hibits a great amount of inquisitiveness and intelligence; if the closed 

 hand is held near the ground the bird will grasp it with its foot, and 

 in a very quiet way try to o])en it in order to obtain what may be 

 held in the hand. The bird runs or hops upon the ground or upon 

 the perches with equal ease ; that is, it runs along the j)erches that 

 are horizontal. It scratches on the ground, using the right and left 

 foot alternately, grasping the clods of earth and pulling them over, 

 examining the roots and uuderparts most minutely for the smallest 

 seeds or insects. 



The strength of the legs and feet will be better understood from 

 the fact that the bird will drag about large clods of j)eat, earth, and 

 roots upwards of 7 lb. weight. This I have ascertained by weighing 

 the lumps of earth after the bird had so moved them. Unlike the 

 gallinaceous birds, the Lyre-bird washes freely, and has never been 

 seen to dust itself. It has a loud and fine voice ; and, although I 

 cannot say I have heard its song, the keepers, upon whose veracity 

 I can j)lace every confidence, assure me that the bird has frequently 

 sung ; and its notes are described to resemble those of a Thrush or a 

 Blackbird in the commencement, but gradually become much 

 louder. Its food consists of finely chopped meat mixed with a small 

 quantity of bruised hempseed, earthworms, mealworms, ants' eggs, 

 and grasshoppers, together with a small quantity of canary and 

 millet seed. Like most insect-eating birds, the Lyre-bird throws 

 u]) the pellets, usually called castings, of the indigestible portion 

 of its food, such as the wing-cases and legs of beetles and other 

 insects. 



liaving made myself tolerably well acquainted with the habits of 

 this bird since its arrival in the Gardens, I feel inclined to offer an 

 opinion with reference to its affinities ; and in so doing I beg to refer 

 to the habits as noticed in No. -1.5, vol. ii. of ' Land and Water,' in 



