THE THRUSH. 137 



going to roost. The flesh is bitter to the taste, like that 

 of the starling. 



"We had three species of Thrush, two of them summer 

 migrants, the Green Thrush and the Mountain Thrush, 

 and the common Gray Thrush, which remained with us 

 throughout the year. 



One of the sweetest sounds in the Victorian forest, to 

 my ear, was the loud monotonous note of the green 

 thrush, from the topmost branch of a high gum-tree, on 

 one of those clear delicious mornings so peculiar to the 

 Australian spring. Although not to be compared to the 

 rich and varied song of the British thrush, there is a 

 gush of melody in the few notes of the Australian bird 

 equal to any of our finest songsters ; and as I have often 

 and often stood at my tent about sunrise and listened to 

 its wild desultory carol, borne upon the early breeze, 

 laden with the fragrance of many a thousand blossoms, 

 I have thought how dull and senseless must that block- 

 head have been who described Australia as a land where 

 the flowers have no scent and the birds no song. The 

 green thrush is a fine bold-looking bird, about the size 

 of the double-thrush at home, of a pale yellowish-greep 

 colour above, the under parts white, spotted with black, 

 and a reddish eye. It builds a very pretty pendent nest, 

 between two small twigs, and lays three large handsome 

 mottled eggs ; in fact, I think the nest and egg of the 

 green thrush prettier than any I ever took in this coun- 

 try. It was sparingly dispersed in pairs over the whole 

 bush, but nowhere very common. . 



