108 IflE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



that this bird is also an able ventriloquist. I am in possession of 

 some scraps of information, yet not sufficient to warrant me stating 

 facts here. The birds do not sing in windy weather, but in South 

 Gippsland, where the mountain spurs terminate abruptly at the sea, 

 and where the birds are found and breed within .50 or 100 yards of 

 that element, it is most delightful to hear their pure liquid songs 

 above the booming of everlasting ocean billows. 



It should be mentioned that the cock bird only whistles and 

 mocks, the hen does not,but her alarm and call notes are identical 

 with her mate's. The alarm note is a short, shrill whistle, not unlike 

 that produced by a person placing the tongue against the upjjer 

 teeth after the fashion of the street arabs. The call is a lower 

 pitched double-note something like " beleck-beleck" or " bullan- 

 bullan." Both sounds are aboriginal names of the Lyre-bird. 



Of course it is known to nearly all, that the male birds each 

 possess several little mounds of earth on which they caper and jump 

 about while pouring forth theii songs, also proudly drooping their 

 wings and displaying their elegant tails. But at times certain 

 sounds are emitted and a peculiar action of the tail produced that 

 have not yet been recorded. Between periods there comes from the 

 throat a spasmodic buzzing or purring noise, at the same time while 

 the tail is expanded or reflected over the back all the quills violently 

 shiver. 



My friend, Mr. Charles Chandler, of jMalvern, informed me of an 

 albino cock bird he twice noticed in the Bass River district. Tt sang 

 most melodiously and was a lovely creature. Its pure white plumage 

 formed a wonderful contrast with the eyes, bill and legs which were 

 black. The tail was large, well-formed, and of the usual colour. I 

 have also heard of spangled varieties from the same district 



I shall conclude at this time by stating two ludicrous legends re- 

 specting Lyre-birds. One which has been published states that they 

 are a species of Thrush. The other is not an uncommon belief that 

 they are remarkable pheasants, which wdiistle and produce music 

 with their tails. The latter may be explained from the fact that all 

 lyres are music-producing, and the two most conspicuous tail feathers 

 are lyre-shaped, hence the name of the bird. 



Through the generous assistance of a member of the club, Mr. !N. 

 J. Caire, landscape photographer, I have been greatly enabled to 

 illustrate this paper by means of three handsomely executed pictures, 

 viz., the haunt of the Lyre-birJ, situation of nest, and nest itself. 



ERRATUM. 



I 



On page 83, line 25, omit the word " flowering.' 



