NESTS AXD EUGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 25 



18. — Gypoictinia melanosterna, Gould. — (20) 

 BLACK-BREASTED BUZZARD. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, iol., vol. i , pi 20. 



Reference. —Cut.. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. i . p. 335. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Bennett: Proc Linn See, N.S. Wales, 

 vol. vi., p. 146 (1881) ; Ramsay : I'roc. Linn. Soc, N.S. Wales, 

 vol. vii., p. 413 (1882); Campbell: Southern Science Record 

 (1883) ; also Proc. .-Vustn. Assoc, vol. vi., p. 434 1 1895) ; North : 

 Austn Mus Cat , p. 13, pi. 5, figs. 3, 4 (i8Sg) 



Geographical Distriliutidii. — Interior provinces of Australia in general. 



Nest. — Large, resembling a Wedge-tailed Eagle's (Uroaetu.'f audax) 

 aerie; roughly constiiieted of sticks, and generally situated in the thick 

 fork of a ti'ee. 



Eygs. — Clutch, two ; round oval in shape ; surface somewhat coarse and 

 lustreless; colour-, dull white; (1) has a few indistinct large brownish 

 blotches about the centre of the egg, and is covered all over with dark 

 purplish hieroglyphics ; (2) is blotched all round the centre and about 

 the larger end with dark-brown, intermingled with a few indistinct 

 pui-plish blotches. Dimensions in inches: (1) 2-5 x 177, (2) 2-49 x 1-92. 

 An odd example has a buffy-white ground mottled all over, thickest on 

 the apex, where the markings are confluent, with rufous-brown, and 

 measiu'es 2-63 x 1-98 inches. (Plate 3.) 



Ohiservation.^. — This exceedingly fine bird of prey is not a common 

 species, and appears to be confined to the plains of the interior, especially 

 those bordering rivers. In .size, the Black-breasted Buzzard comes next 

 to the Wedge-tailed Eagle and the Sea Eagle. Although noted in all the 

 States (Tasmania excepted), it is by no means a common species. Gould, 

 who named the bird, procured one during his jom-ney into the interior 

 of New South Wales. He observed that the Buzzard generally flies liigh, 

 scaling in large circles, much after the manner of the Wedge-tailed Eagle, 

 which it resembles in its general brown colour ; but its black breast and 

 the large square patch of white on each wing are verj' conspicuous when 

 viewed from beneath. The white patch, a field observer remarks, looks 

 as if a small window-pane had been let into each wing. The bird is 

 22 to 24 inches in length, wliich is decidediv short for its general size ; 

 wing 20 inches, and tail 8i inches. 



Gould did not .succeed in procuring the eggs of the Black-breasted 

 Buzzard, leaving Mr. Bennett, Dr. Ramsay, and myself to make a rush 

 ■' for places " long years afterwards. I think we finished in the order 

 named, with this disadvantage to myself — that the eggs I described did 

 not become mv property. 



The only nest of the Buzzard I have observed was near Moulamein, 

 Riverina. It was slightly smaller than the Eagle's aerie, was situated 

 in the fork of a dead tree, at no great height above ground; but the 



