114 
AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 
usually placed on the ground, and the large single egg (or the 
young one) is often taken by the fox. Further, its natural 
haunts — dense forest scrubs — are being rapidly cleared, so that 
the bird is doomed, except in special sanctuaries. 
The Lyre Bird is now generally acknowledged to be the prince 
of mocking birds. It mimics clearly all bush noises, the chop- 
ping of trees, sawing of logs, barking of dogs, clucking of hens, 
the singing of native birds. Its dancing mounds are interesting. 
Near one of these mounds, on the Upper Snowy River, in the 
wild cherry scrub, we observed a nest at a height of about thirty 
feet from the ground. 
Australians! you owe it to mankind in general to see that the 
protection supposed to be given to the Lyre Bird is a reality. 
Recently, after passing a lady much bedecked with Bird of Para- 
dise plumes, I thought it was fortunate the Lyre Bird's tail was 
too large for a lady's hat. Imagine my surprise when, at the 
next street corner (Collins and Spring Streets), I met a lady with 
a Lyre Bird's tail stuck through her head-dress. However, I 
have seen no other tail used for such a purpose. 
In America the Audubon Society has done splendid work by 
disseminating knowledge about American birds, and arousing 
public interest in the value of birds. There, also, thorough scien- 
tific investigation has been made of the value of insect-eating and 
seed-eating birds. It has been stated, as the result of full 
research, that one wild pigeon, in whose crop over 7000 weed 
seeds were found, was as efficacious in destroying weeds as two 
farm laborers. 
It is to be noted that no less an agricultural authority than 
Professor Gilruth, of the Veterinary School, Melbourne University, 
has given it as his deliberate opinion that the Australian farmer 
would find life impossible without the aid of the detested Sparrow 
as a weed destroyer. This is the judgment of a man whose 
opinion is worthy of serious consideration. 
It is open to serious doubt if it pays commercially to kill indis- 
criminately any kind of bird found on this continent. It may, 
of course, happen that one individual bird has learnt where to get 
an easy food supply at the expense of a farmer or orchardist. 
Such a bird could be kept away. To kill birds at all times, 
because of the damage done by a few at a particular time, is 
foolish. 
On the lines of the American Audubon Society, the Gould 
League of Bird Lovers has recently been established. Just as 
Audubon was the great father of American ornithology, so "John 
Gould, the bird man," was the father of Australian ornithology. 
Hence his name has been associated with this movement to save 
our birds. The movement is progressing by leaps and bounds. 
The Victorian branch has a very large body of members, about 
40,000 certificates having already been issued to adults and 
children. Tasmania has a branch in full operation. In South 
Australia bird clubs are doing excellent work, especially amongst 
the young people, and Queensland and New South Wales bird- 
