^°''iIo8^'] Jackson, Trip to Upper Hunfer River DisL, N.S.W. 13 



Pardalote {Pardalotus punctatus), which were built in the banks 

 of the Dartbrook, opposite Yarrundi homestead, and elsewhere. 

 The same morning's discoveries included the nests of the Brown 

 Tree-creeper {Cliuiacteris scandeiis), Noisy Miner {MyzantJia 

 garrnla), Brown Hawk {Hieracidea orientalis), Black-faced 

 Cuckoo-Shrike {Graucahis melanops), Babbler {PoinatorJiimis), 

 and Laughing Jackass {Dacelo gigas), &c. The place was 

 pregnant with suggestion. Seventy years ago, when the whole 

 of this country was dense forest, Gould had entered on his work 

 — work that we can never appreciate too highly ; to-day, on the 

 ground he traversed, one can stand and enjoy the heritage of 

 knowledge he left us. Times change and districts alter ; some^of 

 the forest has disappeared, yet in wide areas of angophora and 

 eucalyptus timber the same brilliant Australian sunshine filters 

 through the foliage or dances in the mirage on the distant plain, 

 whilst everywhere the birds that the great naturalist knew and 

 loved so well add their beauty and interest to the scene. 



A mid-day halt in grateful shade, a rest for the patient horse 

 and the pipe of contentment for ourselves, helped to an 

 appreciative sense of well-being, but I was not minded to leave 

 this corner of Gould's collecting grounds without a few 

 mementoes of my first visit, so, as I had not that day come 

 prepared for tree-climbing, I turned my attention to insect life, 

 and rolled over some logs in search of beetles and snails (land 

 shells). Of these latter I found several, amongst which was 

 Helix brevipila and a Pupa, a small and interesting snail, which, 

 as it appeared to be a new species, I propose naming Pitpa 

 goiildi as a name appropriate to locality and occasion. I also 

 found about a dozen beetles, comprising Carabidce, Elateridce, 

 and Staphylinid(F, and these specimens are now in my collection, 

 accompanied by interesting data of authentication. Returning 

 to Scone to a welcome meal at the Willow Tree Hotel, I was 

 met by Mr. H. L. White, and in the course of a couple of hours, 

 in company with that genial kindred spirit, I was driving along 

 behind a fine pair of horses to the well-known Belltrees station. 

 Our course lay round the east end of Scone mountain range, and 

 over the Segenhoe flats, which lie between it and the Brush or 

 Prickly Pear Mountain. It was here in 1840 that one of 

 Gould's camps was situated, but the thick forest of his time is 

 replaced by a sparse timbering of forest apple trees (Augo- 

 p/iora) ; there are still, however, numbers of the birds which he 

 mentions as having seen, amongst which I notice the White- 

 fronted Bush-Chat {^EpJithianura albifrons) and the Spotted-sided 

 Finch {Staganopleura guttata), perched in rows on the fences or 

 wheeling and flitting through the roly-poly or salt-wort weed 

 {Salsola kali), whilst the flash of the brilliant Bee-eaters 

 {Lierops ornatus) through the sunlight seemed like a lightning- 

 streak tinged with green and red ; these last were breeding in 



