THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
292 
yellowish 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 black¬ 
ish-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 Aus¬ 
tralia. Food: insects and their larvae, and seeds. 
6. Greenfinch Chloris 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 Carduelis 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 patch on the cheeks, a second white bar across the wing. The 
sexes are alike. Length about 5 inches. 
