THE MOCKISG-BIBD. 133 



Habitations of man. Its croak is loud but soft, and at 

 times prettily modulated. They were our constant com- 

 panions out kangarooing, and would follow us through 

 the forests like sutlers on the skirts of a pursuing army, 

 and at night, when skinning the dead kangaroo previous 

 to bringing them home, the old carrion crows would 

 perch themselves on a gum-tree above our heads and sit 

 watching us till their turn came. Like 

 " Eaven on the blasted oak, 

 Who waiting while the deer is broke, 

 His morsel claims with sullen croak." 



We had another species, rather smaller than the carrion 

 crow, which it otherwise much resembled in shape, plu- 

 mage, and habits, but the eye was clear bluish-white. 

 We called it the White-eyed Crow. It was rather a local 

 bird, generally seen in pairs, occasionally joined the 

 other, but was nowhere very common with us. 



One of the noisiest and most restless of all the bush- 

 birds is the Mocking-bird, as we called it, for what 

 reason I know not, as I never heard it utter any other 

 than one note, a long continuous hoarse cackle ; and this 

 was never still. It was about the size of a thrush ; the 

 upper plumage chestnut-brown, the under parts dirty- 

 white, a bluish-white eye, and a long curved beak. They 

 were not very common ; generally in small flocks, in se- 

 cluded places among the honeysuckles and shey oaks ; 

 continually in motion, chasing one another from tree to 

 tree with a very sharp flight, all the while keeping up 

 their peculiar hoarse call-note. They bred with us, but 



