248 Campbell, Annotations. [,st^A"rii 



they may be further distinguished by the reddish-tinged (cinnamon- 

 brown) forehead and crown. This colour might have been taken 

 for youthful plumage had not the birds above described been 

 parents. Again, the eyes are " ruby red " (Jackson), as against 

 "reddish-yellow" (Gould) of P. cidicivora. 



The new bird is named in honour of Mr. Sid. W. Jackson 

 (collector for Mr. H. L. White), who discovered it while camped 

 and enduring great discomfort from excessive heat in the back- 

 blocks of north-western New South Wales. 



The following is taken from Mr. Jackson's field notes : — 



" My camp was within a few miles of the Queensland border 

 fence, and I had only been couple of days camped on this ex- 

 tensive belt of rich, flat country when my attention was attracted 

 to the sweet and characteristic song of a Pseudogerygone, the song 

 being different to that rendered by any other species of the genus 

 with which I am acquainted. Later, and during my journeys 

 between the camp and Collarenebri (40 miles), I do not remember 

 having heard or noticed this bird in that area : and all the speci- 

 mens seen and collected have been on Cambo Cambo station only, 

 but in all probability their habitat extends beyond that, and ranges 

 westward over a big portion of this dry and inland north-west 

 part of New South Wales. One of the first birds observed of this 

 species was on the 25th September (1911), and it warbled at the 

 same place as I had heard it for two days previously, and its neat 

 pensile nest was discovered getting built, both birds lieing busily 

 engaged going to and fro with material. It was placed about 

 9 feet up from the ground, and well hidden in a mass of the round- 

 leaved foliage of a clump of bibble box {Eucalyptus, sp.) suckers 

 which grew up from the base of a ringbarked tree. This nest 

 contained a clutch of three eggs on 9th October (191 1), when I 

 also secured both the parent birds. The birds were not plentiful, 

 but very local ; and I usually heard one during my daily tramp, 

 and now and again at early morning one would visit the wilga 

 tree at the head of my tent, and there pour forth its sweet but 

 feeble little song. From what I saw of the birds, they appeared 

 to be partial to the suckers of the coolibar and bibble box 

 trees, but the wilga trees were also great favourites with 

 them. The birds preferred the open forest, where the trees were 

 well scattered, and the height of their breeding season (October) 

 was the period when they most frequently twittered their sweet 

 notes. By December these songs grew remarkably less, and in 

 January (191 2) the birds became silent, or were rarely heard, con- 

 sequently, owing to their small size and dull colour, they were 

 difficult to locate. Most of their time is spent feeding on small 

 insects, &c., on the leaves and bark of bushy trees. The bird 

 has a habit of moving its tail and the ends of its wings up and 

 down rapidly on alighting on a branch, then folding its wings on 

 its back." 



Mr. H. L. White describes the nest and eggs on page 249. 



