Vol. XIII, 



I9I4 



] Jackson, A Visit to the Gosford Scrubs. 213 



as it was so late in the season. In a small bush known as native 

 holly (Oxylobium trilohatum) a nest of the Yellow-faced Honey- 

 eater [Ptilotis chrysops) was found, which was neatly hidden in the 

 prickly bush. Two eggs were in the nest, but were not inter- 

 fered with. Strange to say, we did not see any Parrots. Amongst 

 the birds met with in the gullies were — Lyre-Bird {Menura 

 superba), Yellow-bellied Shrike-Tit {Falcuncidus frontatus). Black- 

 faced Flycatcher (Monarcha carinata). Yellow-eared Honey-eater 

 {Ptilotis chrysotis), White-throated Tree-creeper [Climacteris 

 leucophcea), Cat-Bird {Ailurcedus smithi). Yellow-throated Scrub- 

 Wren {Sericornis citreigularis), White-throated Thickhead {Pachy- 

 cephala gutturalis). Little Green -Pigeon {Chalcophaps chrysochlora), 

 Brown Fly-eater {Gerygone fusca), &c., but none of these was 

 plentiful ; in fact, only one specimen of the Lyre-Bird was 

 observed. 



The Brown Fly-eater, though a very small bird, livens up the 

 scrub with its sweet twittering song, which resembles " Two tid 

 ed ed, two tid ed ed, two tid ed ed," and is uttered rapidly, the 

 " tid ed ed " being of a higher tone than the first note. The 

 peculiar and familiar notes of the Black-faced Flycatcher 

 awakened us at daylight, and the most usual note of the bird is, 

 as near as I can describe it — " Give us a chew, whack,- give us a 

 chew." Often it is repeated several times quickly without the 

 " whack," but ultimately it is brought in. 



Bell-Miners {Manorhina melanophrys) were fairly plentiful in 

 one pretty dell near our Gosford camp, and their notes simply 

 charmed us. It is delightful to enter the forest where these 

 birds abound, and where their clear, sweet, bell-like jingle falls 

 upon one's ears. The incessant notes resemble the distant jingle 

 of many sheep-bells, the silvery sounds of which go straight to 

 the bird-lover's heart, and crowd his memory with thoughts of 

 stately trees, drooping ferns, and delightful mossy dells, while 

 all the magnificent beauty of the Australian forest and scrub 

 passes along in fanciful procession before him. Shortly after 

 sunset, and before dusk, their bell-hke notes generally become 

 silent, and in their place louder and less musical notes are 

 rendered, of quite a different character. The bell-like note is a 

 short, sharp whistle, and is often most difficult to locate. The 

 birds call one after the other in quick succession, and their notes, 

 being apparently of all different keys, cause the bell-like effect. 

 On an early summer's morning, as a light breeze gently fans the 

 valleys, and the golden tints from the rising sun strike the top- 

 most branches of the trees, and before the pulsating and noisy buzz 

 or rattle of the so-called locust (Cicada) has begun, then, above 

 all times, the exquisite notes of these birds are heard to perfec- 

 tion. They always keep together, the whole year in the same 

 locality, which may cover an area of only a few hundred yards 

 or so in breadth, and probably no more of their dingley dells will 

 be met with for many miles. I have met with the birds in the 

 bush generally close to the sea. ", They are difficult to see while 



