BROWN FLYEATER. 
Eggs. Clutch, three. White with a zone of pinkish-red round the larger end. 17 mm. 
by 11-12. 
Breeding-season. September to December or January. 
This was also first figured by Gould, who wrote : “ 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 Flycatcher, and 
lives almost exclusively upon insects, which are as frequently taken on the 
wing as they are from the undersides of leaves, etc. 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 ; sometimes, like the true 
Flycatchers, sallying out into the open to capture an insect, and at others 
hanging to the undersides of the leaves, after the manner of the Acanthizw. 
Its feeble song is a pleasing twittering sound, and is poured forth almost 
incessantly.” 
I detail hereafter the fact that Gould described a Flyeater as Psilopus 
fuscus, and then re-described a similar bird under another name and used his 
first name for the present species. The extraordinary part of the matter is 
that his description was continued in connection with the figure of this 
species, to which it did not apply. 
Mr. J. W. Mellor’s notes read : “ This little bird was exceedingly common 
at Ourimbah in the Gosford district ; its loud cheery call would denote its 
presence, even though the dusky little bird was nowhere visible, as it kept 
in the dark gullies, where the vegetation was thick and of a subtropical nature, 
and where its food was abundant, as it lives exclusively on insect life. The 
call of this species is loud for the size of the little bird, being a succession of 
jerky little notes sounding like the word ‘Gerygone’ uttered three times, 
and in addition it gives a loud chirruping call, so that the bird is easily recog- 
nisable from its notes. They appear to be unusually late breeders, as I found 
them just building while I was at Ourimbah in November 1911 and no eggs 
were found, although a number of new unfinished nests were seen, afid the 
birds were mating and singing their love songs.” 
For this species the name Gerygone (etc.) fusca Gould has long been in 
use, but North many years ago pointed out that this was not the bird 
originally so named by Gould, but did not emphasise the point nor make 
the necessary emendations. 
In his Synopsis Birds Austr., pt. iv. (pi. 61), and text April 1st, 1838, 
Gould described four species of a new genus Psilopus , giving figures of the 
heads only. One species he named Psilopus fuscus and described it as follows : 
“ Crown of the head, all the upper-surface and wings dark Ciscous- brown, 
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