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BIRDS OF LA PLATA 
DUSKY THRUSH 
Turdus leucomelas 
Above olive-grey; beneath pale grey, throat white striped with 
brown; under wing-coverts and inner margins of wing-feathers 
fulvous; bill yellow; length 9 inches, 
IGHT Thrushes are found in Argentina, three 
E, being Mocking-birds—Miminz, a group re- 
stricted to America. The other five are true 
Thrushes, and of these I describe the three which are 
known to me from personal observation. 
The Dusky Thrush, the best singer, which most 
nearly resembles our Throstle or Song-Thrush, is 
widely distributed in South America, and ranges as 
far south as Buenos Ayres, where it is quite common 
in the woods along the Plata river. It is a shy forest- 
bird; a fruit, earth-worm, and insect eater; abrupt 
in its motions; runs rapidly on the ground with 
beak elevated, and at intervals pauses and shakes its 
tail ; pugnacious in temper ; strong on the wing, its 
flight not being over the trees, but masked by their 
shadows. It can always be easily distinguished, even 
at a distance, from other species by its peculiar short 
metallic chirp—a melodious sound indicating alarm 
or curiosity, and uttered before flight—so unlike 
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