174 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



records the fact of a nest having been taken on 25th July r 

 1896, and a full set of fresh eggs on 7th August, 1897. 

 Eggs of the Pallid Cuckoo (Cucalus pallidus) have been 

 taken in the nests of this thrush. A favorite locality of 

 these birds used to be on the shady banks of the Dandenong 

 Creek, a few miles from Oakleigh, but, owing to much 

 of the land in the locality having being cleared, the 

 birds have mostly left for the ranges ; but this is, in one 

 respect, an advantage, as the nests will now be more 

 difficult to find ; and the ranges being out of reach of 

 many "town" boys will, it is hoped, give the birds a 

 chance to rear their young. As an example of the 

 wholesale destruction of the eggs of this bird, it may 

 be mentioned that one boy admitted having taken 

 thirty-five eggs from nests built in the tea-tree 

 (Melaleuca) scrubs, near Wheeler's Hill on the Fern- 

 tree Gully Road. The numfjer of eggs laid for a sitting 

 is three, oval in form (see plate), sometimes elongated, 

 and are of a buff- white ground color, with blotches of 

 light brown, with light markings of grey appearing as 

 if beneath the surface of the shell ; and sometimes the 

 brown markings form a distinct zone on the eggs. 



Mr. A. J. North gives the following interesting 

 particulars concerning this bird : ' ' Writing from Eden, 

 Twofold Bay, in August, 1901, Mr. J. A. Boyd informs 

 me that one of these birds sits and whistles on his back 

 verandah, until he gives it some scraps of food from the 

 safe, a bit of cheese being a great dainty. It is so tame 

 that it will almost eat out of the hand." 



The following description is taken from "Gould'* s 

 Handbook to the Birds of Australia"'. " The term 

 harmonica as applied to this species is most appropriate ; 

 for, although it does not give utterance to any continual 

 song, it frequently pours forth a number of powerful 

 swelling notes, louder, but less varied, than those of the 

 Song Thrush of Europe ; and it is somewhat singular that 

 these notes are emitted while the bird is in the act of 

 feeding, and while in search of its insect food. The 



