The Lyre Bird.

C.19th engraving of a Lyre bird amongst Tree ferns.

1797 First sighting. An ex-convict who lived with Aboriginals after his term expired in 1792, said that there was in the bush near Sydney, “a bird of the pheasant species’. Near Sydney, John Wilson (Barrington 1802)

1798 First recorded sighting We saw nothing strange except a few rock kangaroos with long black brush tails, and two pheasants which we could not get a shot at. Nepean, John Price (Historical Records NSW, 3 Appendix C.)

1798 First capture Here I shot a bird about the size of a Pheasant, but the tail of it very much resembels a Peacock, with large long feathers which are white, orange, and lead colour, and black at the ends; its body betwixt a brown and green, brown under his neck and black upon his head. Black legs and very lond claws. Near Bargo, John Price (Historical Records NSW, 3 Appendix C.)

1798 Mimicry of the Lyrebird They sing for two hours in the morning, beginning from the time when they quit the valley, until they attain the summit of the hill; where they scrape together a small hillock, on which they stand, with their tail spread over them, imitating successively the note of every bird known in the country. South-west of Sydney David Collins (An account of the English Colony…)

1800 Scientific description The total length of this singular bird from the point of the bill to the end of the broad tail feathers is 43 inches; 25 of which are in the tail alone. The bill rather exceeds an inch in length, is strong, formed much like that of a peacock… Blackheath, Thomas Davies. (Transactions of the Linnean Society of London)

Modern binomial name: Menura novaehollandiae
First described: Thomas Davies 1800
Distribution: VIC, NSW, QLD and introduced to Tasmania.

References:
Ferguson, J. A. Bibliography of Australia Volumes 1-8, Canberra 1976 16439.

Collections:
National Library Australia: Bib ID 4084242
State Library Victoria: CCF 994.5 V66S
State Library New South Wales: 74Vv5vQ4lxmZ