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THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
Description. — Dark olive-brown above ; breast and sides of body, yel- 
lowish streaked and spotted with blackish-brown; remainder of under- 
parts, white. Length about 9 inches. 
Notes. — Also called Continental Song-thrush. This fine songster has 
firmly established itself in Victoria and South Australia, where it is fairly 
common in parks, gardens and orchards. Food: insects and their larvae, 
snails, and worms. 
5. Skylark Alauda arvensis Linnaeus 
Distribution. — Europe and northern Africa. 
Description. — Golden-brown above, with blackish centres to the 
feathers, light streak over the eye, and white edges to the outermost tail- 
feathers; under-parts, buffy- white, spotted and streaked with blackish- 
brown on the throat, breast, and flanks. The female is slightly smaller 
than the male. Length about 7 inches. 
Notes. — This famous songster is firmly established throughout the 
grass-lands of the coastal areas of southern and south-eastern Australia. 
Food: insects and their larvae, and seeds. 
6. Greenfinch Clitoris chloris Linnaeus 
Distribution. — Europe to Persia. 
Description. — Olive-green ; yellowish forehead and rump ; under-parts 
greenish-yellow, darker on the flanks. The female is much duller, and 
slightly smaller than the male. Length about 6 inches. 
Notes. — Also called Green Linnet. This finch is fairly well distri- 
buted over the settled areas of southern and south-eastern Australia, where 
its pretty song is often heard in parks, gardens, and orchards. Food: 
seeds. 
7. Goldfinch Corduelis carduelis Linnaeus 
Distribution. — Europe, Canary Islands to Egypt, Persia, and Siberia. 
Description. — Forehead, front of face, and chin, crimson; crown of 
head, lores, and feathers behind the cheeks, black; back, greyish copper- 
brown ; wings, black with yellow markings ; tail-feathers, black, the centre 
ones tipped with white; feathers behind the eye, throat, and remainder 
of under-parts, white. Length about 5 inches. 
Notes. — Also called Thistle-finch. A well-established species through- 
out the grass-lands and cultivated areas of south-eastern Queensland, 
eastern New South Wales, and southern Australia. Food: seeds and 
insects. 
8. Tree-sparrow Passer montanus Linnaeus 
Distribution. — Europe and northern Asia. 
Description. — This species is like the House-sparrow but slightly 
smaller in size. Chestnut crown and nape, white-bordered triangular black 
