File:Stories about birds of land and water (1874) (14564197520).jpg

Identifier: storiesaboutbird00kirb (find matches)
Title: Stories about birds of land and water
Year: 1874 (1870s)
Authors: Kirby, Mary, 1817-1893 Kirby, Elizabeth, 1823-1873
Subjects: Birds -- Juvenile literature
Publisher: Hartford (Conn.) : American Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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s. Its nest is verylarge, and a little like that of the magpie. There are twelve or sixteen eggsin the nest, of a white colour, with a few light blue spots. The young birdsscamper about with the utmost rapidity, and hide themselves amongst therocks and bushes. In some places, where roads have been cut through thebush, the bird is more frequently seen, and a man on horseback can approachit more easily than when on foot. It seems less afraid of the horse than of theman. Sometimes it is pursued by dogs, that are taught to rush suddenlyupon it when it leaps down from its roosting-place in the tree. And some-times the hunter wears one of the beautiful lyre-like tails in his hat, and keepsit moving about while he hides in the bushes. The bird is taken by surpriseat what he supposes to be one of his own species, and comes within reachof the gun. Another way is to whistle, or make some unusual sound, upon which thebird will come forth out of curiosity, and allow himself to be seen; but unless
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THE LYRE-r.IKU. L 2 i8o STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. the gun is fired in a moment, he is half way down the valley. Indeed, shoot-ing the lyre-bird is totally different to any other kind of sport, and the mostclever sportsman could do nothing unless he understood the nature of thecountry and the habits of the bird. The native is by far the most experthunter of any. He likes to deck his hair with the plumage of the lyre-bird,and to glide noiselessly among the bushes with a gun in his hand. Socautious is he, and so silent, that he can always approach nearer to it thanany one else, and rarely suffers it to escape. Besides its running powers, the bird can take very wonderful leaps. Atone leap it can rise ten feet from the ground. Its habits are solitary; but twolyre-birds have been seen at play, chasing each other round and round, andcarrying their elegant tails in an upright position. It has also the habit ofmaking a round hillock, on which it comes every day and erects its tail, andtramples the

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