THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
The first Australian “ Singing Bird ” to be figured and recorded, this 
fine bird has a long history, but its beginning is not well known. 
Thus in White’s Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, published in 
1790, a fine plate is given of the “ Port Jackson Thrush,” and on p. 157 
opposite, under date May, 1788, is written : “ The Port Jaclcson Thrush, of 
which a plate is annexed, inhabits the neighbourhood of Port Jackson. 
The top of the head in this species is blueish-grey ; from thence down the 
hind part of the neck, and the back, the colour is a fine chocolate-brown ; 
the wings and tail are lead colour, the edges of the feathers pale ; the tail 
itself pretty long, and even at the end ; all the under- parts from chin to vent 
are dusky white, except the middle of the neck, just above the breast, 
which inclines to chocolate. The bill is of a dull yellow ; legs brown.” 
No Latin name was given to this until Latham in his Index Suppl., 
p. xli, gave T urdus harmonious to the Harmonic Thrush described as follows : 
“ Length nine inches ; bill and legs horn colour ; plumage on the upper- 
parts pale brown, on the under whitish, with a slender brown line down the 
shaft of each feather ; wings and tail dusky-black. Inhabits Neiv Holland ; 
called from its note, which is harmonious, the Port Jackson Thrush, but seems 
different from the following one, which goes by that name in White’s Voyage.” 
He added for the same species the name Turdus badius on the same page. 
Not recognising either of these descriptions, Vigors & Horsfield, 
when they received the bird itself, described it as a new species and assigned 
to it a new genus, writing : 44 Mr. Caley has noted these two birds as sexes 
of the same species. He adds, that they frequented at times the neighbour- 
hood of his house, and were found in the green wattle trees. The eyes he 
described as black. The weight of the male was ounces.” 
Mr. Edwin Ashby’s notes read : 44 This beautiful whistler is the common 
Thrush of South Australia, Victoria and N.S.W. It seems as much at home 
in the heavy timbered, wet country of the hills as the dryer back country of 
mallee and the oak (Tasmania). It is a fearless bird, coming in to the 
verandahs of the houses in search of crumbs ; its fine series of whistling, 
echoing under the verandah roofs with a startling volume of sound, effectually 
awakening any late sleepers. It is deservedly one of the favourite native 
songsters, for its fearlessness and sociability brings it into close touch with 
all dwellers in the 4 Bush ’ or to those who have gardens. 
44 Its nest is usually only a few feet from the ground, and a very favourite 
site is the stump of a felled tree, especially where the crown of the stump is 
well hidden by fresh shoots. 
44 Colluricincla rectirostris ? The Tasmanian representative of this, the 
preceeding, is even a still more charming whistler, it certainly has a fuller 
282 
