tVESI'S AXD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIKVS. 



19 



Tlio breeding months of the Sea Eagle may be said to extend from 

 May to November, the prineipal laying times being June and July in 

 New South Wales, Queensland, and other northern parts, and August 

 and September on the southern coast, including Tasmania. 



14. — Haliastur INDUS (siib-species) girrenera, Vieillot. — (4) 



WHITE-HEADED SEA EAGLE. 



Figure— GovAd : Birds of .\ustralia. fol.. vol, i , pi. 4. 



Reference — Cat. Birds Biit. Mus., vol. i , p 315. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs.— Go\i\A: Birds of ,\ustralia (1848), also 

 Handbook, vol. i.. p. 18 (1865); Ramsay: Ibis, vol. i . p 83 

 (1865); Ramsay: P.Z S , p. 578 (1875); Campbell: Proc. 

 Austn. Assoc, vol. vi. p. 429 {1895). 



Geographical Distrihufion. — North-west AustraUa, Northern Territory, 

 Queensland, and New South Wales; also New Guinea, Amboina, 

 Batchian, Morotay Islands, Celebes, and Louisiade Archipelago. 



Nest. — About 24 inches in diameter, constructed of sticks and twigs, 

 lined with finer material or coarse grass, &c., and usually situated in a 

 large tree in a retired locality near the coast. 



.E"*;;/.?.— Clutch, two ; roimdish or sometimes inclined to oval in shape ; 

 surface somewhat coarse and lustreless ; coloiu", dirty or bluish-white, 

 marked somewhat sparingly wth hair-like streaks and minute dots of reddish- 

 brown, the markings being more numerous sometimes at the larger end, 

 other times at the smaller. Dimensions in inches of a clutch : (1) 2-16 x 1-58, 

 (2) 2-03 X 1-52. A specimen in Mr. G. A. Keartland's collection taken 

 near Rockhampton has many Ught-chestnut markings about the smaller 

 end, and measures 2-17 x 1-6S inches. Occasionally eggs are destitute of 

 mai'ldngs. [ Plate 2. ) 



Observations. — This handsome Fishing Eagle in snow-white and rich 

 chestnut pliunage is tolerably common along the coastal regions of tropical 

 Australia, and as a sub-species of H. indus was happily designated 

 girrenera by Vieillot, girrenera being an Australian aboriginal name for 

 the bird. 



" This species," says Gilbert, in his notes to Gould, from the Port 

 Darwin district, " breeds from the beginning of July to the end of 

 August. I succeeded in finding two nests, each of which contained 

 two eggs ; but I am told that three are sometimes found. The nest is 

 formed of sticks, with fine twigs or coarse grass as a lining; it is about 

 two feet in diameter, and built in a strong fork of the dead part of Oi 

 tree. Both of those I found were about tliirty feet from the gi-ound, 

 and about two hundred yards from the beach." 



Writing to the Ihi/: and giving interesting facts of the nidification 

 of this species from Mr. Rainbird, Dr. Ramsay says: — "The nest of 



