THE ENGLISH SPARROW 95 



have heard of the rabbit pest, and are surprised at not 

 meeting with immediate evidence of the destructiveness 

 of that little rodent, few are prepared, on their arrival, 

 to be greeted by the chirping, impudent, feathered friend 

 that they have been so intimate with in their native 

 land. 



Other English birds are sometimes met with here, and 

 in other parts of Australia ; but, as a rule, they are confined 

 to particular estates, where they have been turned loose 

 and protected by the owner. Blackbirds and thrushes 

 seem to have prospered best, but on one estate the robin 

 seemed in a fair way to establish itself; and on several 

 large farms in Victoria the skylark has made itself 

 sufficiently at home to breed. There are some enthusiastic 

 bird-lovers in the country who would give a large sum for 

 a few pairs of English nightingales could they be procured ; 

 but I believe, though many attempts have been made, that 

 a nightingale has never been landed alive in Australia. 

 Even the robin will rarely endure confinement sufficiently 

 long to enable it to be imported to our continent. Once 

 safely there, however, it seems to be able to find abundance 

 of acceptable food. 



On the alluvial flats near Spencer's Gulf, the cornfields 

 are often crowded with scarlet poppies ; and dandelions, 

 buttercups, and daisies, large and small, abound on the 

 grasslands, both artificial and natural. The seeds of these 

 flowers must have been brought to Australia in corn-seed 

 bags or sticking to the wool of sheep. That seeds are 

 transported from country to country entangled in the wool 

 and fur of animals has been proved beyond dispute. 

 Several Spanish plants came to the colonies imbedded 

 amidst the wool of a flock of merino sheep ; and other 

 instances have been noted by colonial naturalists. 

 Sometimes serious consequences follow importations, 

 accidental and otherwise. I have heard a story of a 

 Scotch gentleman who had much trouble with his neigh- 

 bours through his attempt to raise a crop of genuine 

 Scotch thistles. I am not sure that European plants have 

 yet obtained a sufficient hold upon Australian soil actually 



