28 NESTS AXD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



While under the Liverpool Rauge, Gould shot a young Black-shouldered 

 Kite which had not long left the nest. He therefore conjectured that 

 the bird bred within the State of New South Wales. The conjecture has 

 since proved correct, for Mr. North has described, from Dr. Cox's 

 collection, a very handsome set of eggs of this species, taken near the 

 Hawkesbury River. 



Moreover, Mr. S. W. Jackson has kindly sent me some interesting notes 

 of an invasion of Black-shouldered Kites that occurred in his district, 

 South Grafton, 1897. He writes: — "Black-shouldered Kites ai-rived here 

 in great numbers in May, and it was qxiite a common occurrence to notice 

 a pair of birds on almost every farm field on the river. 



" On the other hand, what appeared to be the Letter-winged species was 

 rarer, as I only noticed about seven or eight pairs to the many dozen pairs 

 of Black-shouldered Kites. However, both species have now (September 

 10th) become still less, and I fancy many of them have left the district. 

 Dm-ing my residence here, a period of six years, I never noticed these 

 Kites in such numbers, and I always looked upon them previously as bu'ds 

 of gi-eat rarity, as in former seasons I only noticed two or thi'ee pail's of 

 the Black-shouldered variety on the river, and it is fom' years since I saw 

 a Letter-winged Kite about the district ; therefore I have come to the 

 conclusion that the birds have been driven to the rivers, owing to the 

 drought prevailing in the interior portions of the State. They obtain all 

 their food from off the ground, and do not feed on grubs, &c., off the tops 

 of eucalyptus trees, as the Crested Hawk and others usually do." 



Mr. Jackson has also thoughtfully forwarded me for examination 

 examples selected from three types of tliese beautiful Kites' eggs, which 

 he himself took : (a) is like those I have described, buffy-white, heavily 

 blotched and smeared all over with rich reddish-brown or chocolate ; 

 (h) is mottled all over the entire siu-face, obscuring the gi-ound-colom-, 

 like those of a Brown Hawk ; while (c) has a bluish- white ground-colour, 

 with heavy chocolate blotchings on the apex, and few markings elsewhere. 

 Dimensions in inches: (a) 1-67 x 1-23, (h) 1-62 x 1-26, (c) 1-6 x 1-26. 



The Kites arrived again the following season, the chief breeding months 

 being June, Julv and August. 



The illustration of the nest of the Black-shouldered Kite is from a 

 photograph by Mr. Jackson. 



20. — El.vnus scriptus, Gould. — (24) 

 LETTER-WINGED KITE. 



Figure — Gould: Birds of Australia, fol-, vol. i., pi. 24, 



Reference.— Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. i , p. 340. 



Previous Descriftions of Eggs. — Gould: Birds of Australia, Handbook, 



p. 55 (1S65) ; North : .Austn. Mus. Cat., p. 15 (1889) Campbell : 



Proc. Austn. .\ssoc., vol. vi., p. 434 I1895). 



Geographical Distrihution. — Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, 

 South and West Australia. 



