85 
Vol 'i924 1V ‘] MacGILLIVRAY, ,lustration Pratincole 
vicinity of the hole, but rush into it when either parent gives the 
alarm. 
My son and I noticed one adult bird keeping to one locality, 
so we walked towards her. She immediately became anxious, 
calling out, and shuffling along the ground quite near to us. We 
made an exhaustive search and narrowed the area down to a 
few square yards. We then retired to a distance, and watched 
through our field glasses. The bird was seen to go over to a 
bare patch, on which was a goanna burrow. On our pretending 
to walk towards her, she immediately ran away. We went back 
and waited for some time. She returned to the burrow, and 
was seen to have a young one running with her. My son moved 
towards her, whilst I kept watch. He had not gone more than 
a few yards when the young one ran towards its mother as 
though called, and then disappeared into the burrow. We exam¬ 
ined the hole and took a photograph. The entrance measured 
inches horizontally by 2-£ vertically, and the burrow slanted in 
for about a foot, then turned at right angles and ran in for 
another foot. The young bird was crouching at the end of it. 
His footprints and excreta were seen on the soft earth aj the 
entrance. About ten days old, he could run well, outspreading 
his little wings when pressed. When a little distance away, he 
would squat amongst the grass or stones, and was then difficult 
to find. 
He was still in down, now a greyish fawn with brownish 
longitudinal vermiculations. The wing and tail quills and the 
feathers of the body were sprouting. The bill was brown, the 
gape being pale flesh color, and the legs and feet were leaden. 
Even at this age he had, when standing, the bobbing movements 
of his parents. 
Wild Lyrebirds in Sydney Suburbs. —Sydney is fortunate in 
having several parks containing virgin bush, and in these resi¬ 
dents & can hear and observe many of the native birds. It is 
pleasing to note that some comparatively rare species are glad to 
remain^in the precincts of habitation if given protection. Whip 
Birds are to be found on the harbour foreshores, while a pair of 
Pheasant Coucals have lately made themselves at home in Mos- 
man, about 20 minutes’ run from the G.P.O. In the suburb of 
Gordon, Lyrebirds are still to the fore. Mr. B. E. Minns states 
"that he not only hears them almost daily, but occasionally sees 
the male bird performing his peculiar gyrations, with vocal ac¬ 
companiment, in some sunlit bush glade. In the early morning 
he has watched him turning over the litter placed under an orange 
tree, in search of food, within a few yards of the house. A 
favourite imitation is the sound of numbers of children in the 
playground of a nearby school.” The bird also takes delight in 
copying the clicking of a typewriter, which is worked on the 
verandah of a house facing the scrub.—A. S. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S. 
