162 NOTES ON THE HABITS OP BIRDS BREEDING IN N.S.W., 



NOTES ON THE HABITS, &c., OF BIRDS BREEDING IN 

 THE INTERIOR OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 



By K, H. Bennett, Esq. 



1, Falco subniger. 



As very little seems to be known of the habits, of this the 

 fiercest and most rapacious of oxir falcons, perhaps a few notes on 

 the subject would be of interest. I will premise my remax'ks by 

 stating that I have for many years resided in a locality where these 

 birds^ at certain times of the year are tolerably numerous (the 

 Lachlan River), and I have thus had many opportunities of 

 observing their habits, &c. The first thing that strikes an 

 observer with regard to this bird is its extraordinarily swift flight, 

 almost equalling that of Cyjiselus ; and the next its powers of 

 endurance on the wing, for like the frigate bird, it passes by far 

 the greater part of the day (at any rate) on the wing, and it is 

 indeed a rare thing to see a black falcon perched. 



I have said that it is tolerably numerous at certain times — for 

 here they are undoubtedly migratory, arriving about the beginning 

 of September in company with the small red quail Turnix velox, on 

 which it preys; and departing about February. Quail and the young 

 of birds frequenting the plains, such as Anthus, Cincloramphus, 

 EjihtJdaunra aurifrons, (&c., constitute its chief prey, but only the 

 young, as a rule of any but quail, for great as are the falcons 

 powers of flight, he has more than a match in the adults of any of 

 the above mentioned birds, for they dodge and turn so quickly that 

 the falcon has no chance with them, and so well does he know this, 

 that it is only when rendered desperate by hunger that he will ever 

 attempt to catch one, and much more rarely it is that he is 

 successful, and when unassisted by his mate the chase may be set 

 down as hopeless, for just as he is on the point of clutching hia 

 prey, by a sudden turn it eludes his grasp and goes sailing ofi" in 

 quite another direction, whilst the bafiled falcon is carried by its 



