NESTS AND EGGS 01-' AISTKALIAN BIRDS. 33 



23.— Fai.co hytolkucus, Gould. — (7) 

 GREY FALCON. 



Figure— Go\i\i : Birds of Australia, fol . vol i, pi 7. 



Reference— CaX. Birds. Brit. Mus., vol. i . p 394. 



Previous Descriptions o/E^'^'s.— Ramsay : Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S. Wales, 

 vol. vii., p. 414 (1882); North; Austn Mus. Cat., pi. 3, fig 3 

 (18S9) ; Campbell: Proc. Austn. Assoc, vol vi , p. 438 (1895) 



Geoiiraiihical Disfrihutiun. — Australia in general. 



Nest. — Constructed of sticks and twigs, and situated in a tall tree. 

 Probably a nest built by another large bird is used. 



Eggn. — Clutch, three (and four probably); roundish in shape, more 

 compressed at one end ; texture of shell comparatively fine ; suiiace 

 slightly glossy ; colom-, apparently buiTy-white, almost entirely obscured bv 

 blotches and freckles of rufous or yellowish-brown, while the ends, 

 sometimes the larger, at other times the smaller, are marked wth 

 stale gore-like blotches. Most resemble those of the Brown Hawks. 

 Dimensions of two pairs from Central Australia: A (1) 2-02 x 1-57, 

 (2) 1-99 X 1-53; B (1) 2-0xlo5, (2) 1-98 x 1-53. 



Ob.fervations. — The name Grey adequately describes this extremely 

 fine Falcon. Dr. Ramsay, who first described its eggs, states: — 

 " Tliis is a rare species, not plentiful in any part of Australia, but 

 occasionally obtained in the northern poi-tion of the interior of Queensland, 

 and Mr. Gould records it from Western Australia. I am indebted to 

 Mr. J. B. White for specimens of the eggs taken on the Upper Thomson 

 River, in Queensland." 



Mr. G. A. Keartland has kindly permitted me to take my descriptions 

 from two pairs of eggs collected for him in Central Australia. 



24. — F.vLCi) SUBNIGER. Gray. — (9) 

 BLACK FALCON. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i.. pi 9 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. i., p. 394 



PtevioHS Descriptions of £^gs.— Bennett : Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S. Wales, 

 vol. X., p. 167 (1885); Ramsay: Proc. Linn. Soc, N S. Wales, 

 2nd ser., vol. i., p. 1142' (1886): North: Austn. Mus. Cat. 

 pi. 3, fig. I (1889). 



Geographical Distribution. — Australia in general. 



Nest. — Usually a stick-built home of another bird of prey or other 

 large bii'd, and situated in a tree, or, in the far interior, sometimes placed 

 on a bush. 



Egg-'i. — Clutch, three to four ; rountlish oval in shape ; textiu'e of 

 shell comparatively fine ; surface without gloss ; coloiu-, light-buff or butty- 

 white, marbled and blotched all over with bright rufous-brown or 

 3 



