INSESSOllES. 267 



Sp. 1 5f). GERYGONE EUSCA, Gould. 



■Brown Gerygone. 



Psilopus fuscus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc.^ part v. p. 147. 

 Gerygone fusca, Gould in De Strzelecki's Phys. Descr. of New South 

 Wales and Van Dienien's Land, p. 321. 



Gerygone fusca, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. ii. pi. 98. 



The Gerygone fusca is an inhabitant of New South Wales, 

 where it is to be found in all the brushes near the coast, as 

 well as in those on the sides of the ranges in the interior. 

 As its form would indicate, it has much of the habit of the 

 Elycatcher, and lives almost exclusively upon insects, which 

 are as frequently taken on the wing as they are from the under 

 sides of leaves, &c. It particularly loves to dwell in the most 

 retired and gloomy part of the forest, and is an active and 

 lively little bird, flitting about from flower to flower, some- 

 times, like the true Elycatcliers, sallying out into the open 

 to capture an insect, and at others hanging to the under 

 sides of the leaves, after the manner of the Acanthizce. 



Its feeble song is a pleasing, twittering sound, and is 

 poured forth almost incessantly. 



The breeding-season comprises the months of September, 

 October, and November. The nest is a delicate and beautiful 

 structm-e of a domed oblong form, the lower end terminating 

 in a point, with the entrance at the side near the top covered 

 with a well-formed spout, which completely excludes both 

 sun and rain from the interior of the nest ; it is about eight 

 inches in height and ten in circumference, the spout projcct- 

 hig about two inches, and the entrance being scarcely an inch 

 in diameter. The body of a nest found in the brushes of the 

 Elunter was composed of green moss, mouse-eared lichen, soft 

 wiry grasses, the inner bark of trees, and other materials, and 

 was lined with extremely soft grasses. The eggs are three 

 in number, and very similar, both in size and colour, to those 



