[Illustration: THE LYRE BIRD (_Menura superba_).]
The LYRE BIRD (_Menura superba_) has, perhaps, excited more controversy
among ornithologists, respecting its classification, than any other of
the remarkable members of the feathered creation inhabiting Australia.
This difference of opinion has arisen from its unusual size, and the very
peculiar formation of its tail. The body is slenderly built, the neck of
moderate length, the head comparatively large and well-formed, the wings
short, the tail very long, and the tarsus high. The beak is straight,
except at the tip, which is slightly hooked, very perceptibly incised,
and broader than it is high at the base; the nostrils are large, oval,
situated near the middle of the bill, and partially covered with a skin.
The first five quills in the much-arched wing are graduated; the sixth,
seventh, eighth, and ninth are the longest, and of nearly equal size.
The very beautiful lyre-shaped tail possessed by the male is composed of
sixteen feathers, whilst that of the female is of the ordinary form, and
contains but twelve. The plumage of the Menura is thick, lax, and almost
hair-like on the back and rump, but prolonged into a crest on the top of
the head; the base of the beak is covered with bristles. The length of
the body of the male is fifteen inches, that of his tail twenty-three,
whilst his mate does not exceed thirteen inches; the longest feathers
in her tail measuring not more than fifteen inches. The male Menura is
of a deep brownish grey on the upper part of the body, shaded with red
on the rump; the throat and upper part of the breast are red; the rest
of the under side greyish brown, lightest upon the belly. The secondary
quills and outer web of the primaries are reddish brown; the tail
blackish brown on the upper side, and silvery grey beneath. The outer
webs of the two lyre-shaped feathers are dark grey, their extremities
velvety black, fringed with white, the inner web striped alternately
with blackish brown and rust-red; the two centre tail-feathers are grey,
the rest black. The plumage of the female is entirely of a dirty brown,
shading into grey on the belly; the young resemble the mother until after
the first moulting season. This remarkable bird, which, together with the
Emeu and Kangaroo, form the emblems or heraldic bearings of Australia,
has been most carefully observed and described by both Gould and Bennett;
we shall, therefore, lay before our readers the interesting results of
their labours in the words of those naturalists:--
"The great stronghold of the Lyre Birds," says Mr. Gould, "is the colony
of New South Wales, and, from what I could learn, its range does not
extend so far to the eastward as Moreton Bay; neither have I been able
to trace it to the westward of Port Phillip on the southern coast; but
further research only can determine these points. It inhabits equally
the bushes on the coast and those that clothe the sides of the mountains
in the interior. On the coast it is especially abundant at the Western
Port and Illawarra; in the interior the cedar bushes of the Liverpool
range, and, according to Mr. G. Bennett, the mountains of the Tumut
country are among the places of which it is a denizen. Of all the birds
I have ever met with, the Menura is by far the most shy and difficult
to procure. While among the mountains I have been surrounded by these
birds, pouring forth their loud and liquid calls for days together,
without being able to get a sight of them; and it was only by the most
determined perseverance and extreme caution that I was enabled to effect
this desirable object, which was rendered more difficult by their often
frequenting the almost inaccessible and precipitous sides of gullies
and ravines, covered with tangled masses of creepers and umbrageous
trees. The cracking of a stick, the rolling down of a small stone, or
any other noise, however slight, is sufficient to alarm it; and none
but those who have traversed these rugged, hot, and suffocating bushes
can fully understand the anxious labour attendant on the pursuit of the
Menura. Independently of climbing over rocks and fallen trunks of trees,
the sportsman has to creep and crawl beneath and among the branches
with the utmost caution, taking care only to advance while the bird's
attention is occupied in singing, or in scratching up the leaves in
search of food: to watch its action it is necessary to remain perfectly
motionless, not venturing to move, even in the slightest degree, or it
vanishes from sight as if by magic. Although I have said so much on
the cautiousness of the Menura, it is not always so alert: in some of
the most accessible bushes through which roads have been cut it may
frequently be seen, and even closely approached on horseback, the bird
evincing less fear of horses than of man. At Illawarra it is sometimes
successfully pursued by dogs, trained to rush suddenly upon it, when it
immediately leaps upon the branch of a tree, and its attention being
exclusively attracted by the dog below barking, it is easily approached
and shot. Another successful mode of procedure is by wearing the tail of
a full-plumaged male in the hat, keeping it constantly in motion, and
concealing the person among the bushes, when, the attention of the bird
being arrested by the apparent intrusion of another of its own sex, it
will be attracted within the range of the gun. If the bird be hidden
from view by surrounding objects, any unusual sound, such as a shrill
whistle, will generally induce him to show himself for an instant, by
causing him to leap with a gay and sprightly air upon some neighbouring
branch, to ascertain the cause of the disturbance; advantage must be
taken of this circumstance immediately, or the next moment it may be
half-way down the gully. The Menura seldom, if ever, attempts to escape
by flight, but easily eludes pursuit by its extraordinary powers of
running. None are so efficient in obtaining specimens as the naked black,
whose noiseless and gliding steps enable him to steal upon it unheard
or unperceived; with a gun in his hand he rarely allows it to escape,
and in many instances he will even kill it with his own clumsy weapons.
The Lyre Bird is of a wandering disposition, and, although it probably
keeps to the same jungle, it is constantly engaged in traversing it
from one end to the other, from the mountain base to the top of the
gullies, whose steep and rugged sides present no obstacle to its long
legs and powerful muscular thighs. It is also capable of performing
extraordinary leaps, and I have heard it stated that it will spring ten
feet perpendicularly from the ground. Among its many curious habits, the
only one at all approaching to those of the Gallinaceæ is that of forming
small round hillocks, which are constantly visited during the day, and
upon which the male is continually tramping, at the same time erecting
and spreading out its tail in the most graceful manner, and uttering
its various cries; sometimes pouring forth its natural notes; at others
imitating those of other birds, and even the howling of the native dog
(dingo). The early morning and evening are the periods when it is most
animated and active. Although upon one occasion I forced this bird to
take wing, it was merely for the purpose of descending a gully, and I
am led to believe that it seldom exerts this power unless under similar
circumstances. It is particularly partial to traversing the trunks of
fallen trees, and frequently attains a considerable altitude by leaping
from branch to branch. Independently of a loud full note, which may be
heard reverberating over the gullies for at least a quarter of a mile, it
has also an inward warbling song, the lower notes of which can only be
heard within about fifteen yards. It remains stationary whilst singing,
fully occupied in pouring forth its animated strain; this it frequently
discontinues abruptly, and again commences with a low, inward snapping
noise, ending with an imitation of the loud and full note of the Satin
Bird, and always accompanied by a tremulous motion of the tail. The food
of the Menura appears to consist principally of insects, particularly of
centipedes and coleoptera. I also found the remains of shelled snails in
the gizzard, which is very strong and muscular."
"I first," continues Mr. Gould, "saw these birds in the mountain range
of the Tumut country. Lately they have been very abundant among the Blue
Mountain ranges bordering on the Nepean River, above Emeu Plains, about
thirty-five miles from Sydney. They are remarkably shy, very difficult
of approach, frequenting the most inaccessible rocks and gullies; and,
on the slightest disturbance, they dart off with surprising swiftness
through the brakes, carrying their tail horizontally; but this appears to
be for facilitating their passage through the bushes; for when they leap
or spring from branch to branch, as they ascend or descend a tree, their
tail approaches to the perpendicular. On watching them from an elevated
position playing in a gully below, they are seen to form little hillocks
or mounds by scratching up the ground around them, trampling and running
flightily about, uttering their loud, shrill call, and imitating the
notes of various birds."
The following account of a young Lyre Bird was received by Mr. Gould from
Ludwig Becker:--
"In the month of October, 1858, the nest of a Lyre Bird was found in
the densely-wooded ranges near the sources of the river Yarra-Yarra.
It contained a bird which seemed at first to be an old one in a sickly
condition, as it did not attempt to escape, but it was soon discovered
to be a young bird of very large size as compared with its helplessness.
When taken out of the nest it screamed loudly, the note being high, and
sounding like 'tching-tching.' In a short time the mother-bird, attracted
by the call, arrived, and, notwithstanding the proverbial shyness of
the species, flew within a few feet of her young, and tried in vain to
deliver it from captivity, by flapping her wings and making various rapid
motions in different directions towards the captor. A shot brought down
the poor bird, and, with its mother near it, the young Menura was silent
and quiet. It was taken away, and kept at a 'mia-mia' erected in the
midst of the surrounding forest.
"Its height was sixteen inches; its body covered with a brown down, but
the wings and tail were already furnished with feathers of a dark-brown
colour. The head was thickly covered with a greyish-white down, of
from one to two inches in length; the eyes were hazel brown; the beak
blackish and soft; the legs nearly as large as those of a full-grown
specimen, but it walked most awkwardly, with the legs bent inwards.
It rose with difficulty, the wings assisting, and, when on its legs,
occasionally ran for a short distance, but often fell, apparently from
want of strength to move the large and heavy bones of its legs properly.
It constantly endeavoured to approach the camp-fire, and it was a
matter of some difficulty to keep it from a dangerous proximity to it.
Its cry of 'tching-tching' was often uttered during the daytime, as if
re-calling the parent bird; and when this call was answered by its keeper
feigning the note 'bullen-bullen'--the native name for the Lyre Bird,
which is an imitation of the old birds' cry--it followed the voice at
once, and was easily led away by it. It soon became very tame, and was
exceedingly voracious, refusing no kind of food, but standing ready, with
widely-gaping bill, awaiting the approaching hand which held the food,
consisting principally of worms and the larvæ of ants, commonly called
ants' eggs, but it did not refuse bits of meat, bread, &c. Occasionally
it picked up ants' eggs from the ground, but was never able to swallow
them, the muscles of the neck not having acquired sufficient power to
effect the required jerk and throwing back of the head. It rarely if
ever partook of water. It reposed in a nest made of moss, and lined with
opossum-skin, where it appeared to be quite content. While asleep the
head was covered with one of the wings. When called 'bullen-bullen' it
awoke, looked for several seconds at the disturber, soon put its head
under the wing again, and took no notice whatever of other sounds or
voices. That the young Menura remains for a long time in the nest is
proved by the manner in which it disposes of its droppings; our young
captive always went backward before dropping its dung, in order to avoid
soiling the nest. It is probable that it leaves the nest in the daytime,
when the warmth of the weather invites it to do so, but that during the
night it remains in the nest; and if the weather should become cold the
mother shelters her young, the nest being large enough to contain both."
A second species of Lyre Bird, the _Menura Alberti_, is thus described by
Mr. Gould:--
"The habits of this bird are very similar to those of the _Menura
superba_, but having seen and watched both on their playgrounds, I
find the _Menura Alberti_ is far superior in its powers of mocking
and imitating the cries and songs of others of the feathered race to
the _Menura superba_. Its own peculiar cry or song is also different,
being of a much louder and fuller tone. I once listened to one of these
birds that had taken up its quarters within two hundred yards of a
sawyer's hut, and he had made himself perfect with all the noises of
the homestead--the crowing of the cocks, the cackling of the hens, the
barking and howling of the dogs, and even the painful screeching of the
sharpening or filing of the saw. I have never seen more than a pair
together. Each bird appears to have its own walk or boundary, and never
to infringe on the other's ground, for I have heard them day after day in
the same place, and seldom nearer than a quarter of a mile to each other.
Whilst singing they spread their tails over their heads like a Peacock,
droop their wings to the ground, and at the same time scratch and peck
up the earth. They sing mornings and evenings, and more in winter than
at any other time. The young cocks do not sing until they get their full
tails, which I fancy is not until the fourth year, having shed them in
four different stages. The two centre curved feathers are the last to
make their appearance. They live upon small insects, principally beetles;
their flesh is not eatable, being dark, dry, and tough, and quite unlike
that of other birds. They commence building their nests in May, lay
in June, and have young in July. They generally place their nests on
the side of some steep rock, where there is sufficient room to form a
lodgment, so that no animals or vermin can approach."
The following particulars respecting this species we extract from one
of Dr. Bennett's interesting works on Australia:--"The locality it
frequents, says Dr. Stephenson, 'consists of mountain ridges not very
densely covered with brush. It passes most of its time on the ground,
feeding and strutting about, with the tail reflected over the back to
within an inch or two of the head, and with the wings drooping on the
ground. Each bird forms for itself three or four "corroborring places,"
as the sawyers call them. These consist of holes scratched in the sandy
ground, about two feet and a half in diameter, by sixteen, eighteen, or
twenty inches in depth, and about three or four hundred yards apart, or
even more. Whenever you get a sight of the bird, which can only be done
with the greatest caution, and by taking advantage of intervening objects
to shelter yourself from its observation, you will find it in one or
other of these holes, into which it frequently jumps, and seems to be
feeding; it then ascends again, and struts round and round the place,
imitating with its powerful musical voice any bird it may chance to hear
around it. The note of the _Dacelo gigantea_, or Laughing Jackass, it
imitates to perfection. Its own whistle is exceedingly beautiful and
varied. No sooner does it perceive an intruder than it flies up into
the nearest tree, first alighting on the lowermost branches, and then
ascending by a succession of jumps, until it reaches the top, whence it
instantly darts off to another of its playgrounds. The stomachs of those
I dissected,' continues Dr. Stephenson, 'invariably contained insects,
with scarcely a trace of any other material. Now collectors of insects
know that gravel-pits and sandy holes afford them great treats, and it
appears to me that one, if not the principal use of the excavations
made by this bird is to act as a trap for unwary coleopterous and other
insects, which falling in cannot ascend again, and are therefore easily
secured.' Mr. Strange, who met with this species in the cedar bushes
which skirt Turanga Creek, Richmond River, says, 'Like the _Menura
superba_, it is of a shy disposition. When alarmed or running away, it
carries the tail erect, and not drooping downward like that species.
I spent ten days in the midst of cedar-brushes in the hope of seeing
something of its nidification, but did not succeed in finding any nest
with eggs. I found, however, one large, dome-shaped nest, made of sticks
placed in the spur of a large fig-tree, which the natives assured me
was that of the Colevin, their name for this bird. It resembles that of
Orthonyx, except that the inside was not lined with moss, but with litter
from a large mass of parasitical plants that had fallen to the ground.
The natives agree in asserting that the eggs are only laid in cold
weather, by which I apprehend they mean the spring, as I shot a young
specimen about four months old on the 24th of November which had the
whole of the body still covered with brown and greyish down. I have seen
this specimen take extraordinary leaps of not less than ten feet from the
ground, on to some convenient branch, whence it continues to ascend in
successive jumps, until it has attained a sufficient elevation to enable
it to take flight into the gully below.'"
* * * * *
The WARBLERS (_Sylviadæ_) are among the smallest and most fascinating
of the feathered race. They are recognisable by their short, awl-shaped
beaks, powerful feet, short, rounded wings, long, variously formed tails,
and usually silky plumage.
* * * * *
The SONG WARBLERS (_Sylviæ_), the most attractive group of this family,
are all little birds, having soft, silky, variously-coloured plumage and
a slender body; the beak is slightly conical, strong at the base, almost
as broad as it is high, hooked and slightly incised at its tip; the foot
is powerful and of medium length, the toes short and strong. The wings
are rounded and of moderate size, the third and fourth quills being
longer than the rest; the tail, which is composed of twelve feathers,
varies in its formation. Light grey predominates in the coloration of the
plumage; but is varied with different shades of red and brown; the adult
male and female are generally but not invariably alike.
The Song Warblers principally frequent the woodland districts of the
more northerly portions of the Eastern Hemisphere, and usually prefer
tracts covered with low trees and underwood to lofty forests. They
almost entirely avoid mountainous regions, even should these be thickly
overgrown with their favourite shrubs and bushes. Unlike the Thrushes,
they rarely descend to seek for food upon the surface of the ground,
nor are they apparently more at their ease when on the wing, for they
frequently undertake lengthy journeys during their winter migrations, and
their flight is in most instances fluttering and heavy; some few species,
however, prove exceptions to this rule, as they are not only capable of
careering with a rapid undulating course through the realms of air, but
frequently, when about to pour forth their song, soar to a considerable
altitude. It is in the depths of the thicket, however, that the members
of this family best display the wonderful agility with which they have
been endowed. No tangled brake, no mass of foliage, however dense, is
impervious to these little birds. With lowered head, and wings and feet
drawn in, they creep through the smallest apertures with astonishing
dexterity, and make their way with an ease and rapidity that is almost
unequalled in the whole feathered creation. Unlike the Thrush or Shrike,
they never agitate their tail and pinions when in motion; but, if angry
or excited, display the crest that decks their head, and slightly raise
their wings above the back. As regards their vocal powers, they are, for
the most part, highly gifted. Their senses are keen, their intelligence
remarkable, and their dispositions shy and cautious. Although usually
peaceable during the breeding season, they frequently exhibit
considerable fury and violence towards any suspected rival or enemy,
that contrasts strangely with the tenderness and devotion they display
while endeavouring to win the attention of their mates, or ministering
to the wants of their little family. More than one brood is usually
produced in the year, each of which consists of from four to six eggs,
of a white hue, spotted with grey or brown. The flat and prettily-formed
nest is placed amongst the bushes, or on a branch, and constructed of
stalks, cottony wool, spiders' webs, green moss, and fibres, lined with
horsehair, the whole being woven together so lightly that the eye can
penetrate its interior. In some instances these fragile little structures
are fastened so insecurely on their foundations as to be liable to be
dislodged by the wind. During the summer months the Song Warblers subsist
almost entirely upon insects, larvæ, caterpillars, and similar fare, and
in autumn devour large quantities of berries and fruit. They are often
very destructive to cherry-trees, and in Southern Europe do great damage
to the crops of ripe figs.
* * * * *
The TRUE SONG WARBLERS (_Curruca_) are distinguished from their congeners
by the comparative length of their pointed wings, in which the third
quill is longer than the rest, also by their moderately-sized and almost
or quite straight tail.