36 NESTS A.VD EGGS OP AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



concave in form. In all probability they were Crows or Ravens' old nests. 

 In Tasmania Mr. A. E. Brent took the eggs of the Little Falcon 

 from the broken spout of a pepjDerniint tree (eucalvpt). There was 

 no nest save a few small sticks round about the eggs, which reposed 

 on the rotten substance in the hollow. 



26. — HiERACiDEA BERiGoRA, Vigors and Horsfield. — (12) 

 H. occidentaJis, Gould. 



STRIPED BROWN HAWK. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i., pi. 12. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. i., p. 421. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia (184S), Hand- 

 book, vol. i., p. 34 (1865); North: Austn, Mus. Cat., p. 21 

 (1889) ; Campbell : Proc. Austn. Soc, vol. vi., p. 441 (1895). 



Geographical Distribution. — Queensland, New South Wales (? interior) 

 Victoria; South, West, and North-west Australia. 



Ne.st. — Similar to that of the ordinary Brown Hawk, constructed of 

 sticks and twigs, Lined with leaves, &c., and situated in the fork of a tree, 

 in some cases placed on the crown of a grass-tree ( Xanthorrhcea). A 

 deserted Raven's nest is sometimes used. 



Eqys. — Clutch, three to four usually, rare instances five ; roundish oval 

 in shape ; texture of shell somewhat fine ; surface lustreless. As in 

 those of H. orientalis, wluch they resemble, the gi'ound-colour is buffy- 

 white, freckled and mottled over almost the entire sui'face with ricn 

 reddish-brown, usually forming a patch about the larger end, in some 

 instances on the smaller end. In common with the eggs of the other 

 Brown Hawk, as well as those of the Falcons, the inside lining of the 

 shell is of a bully colour, when held up to transmitted light. 



A handsome clutch taken at Quindahip, on the 18th October, 

 1889, during my trip to Western Australia, measures in inches : 

 (1) 2-12 X 1-75, (2) 2-11 X 1-59, (3) 2-05 x 1-58. 



Observations. — We possess two species of Brown Hawks in Austraha — 

 one frequenting the eastern part of the Continent and the other the 

 western, but individuals often overfly their bounds or exchange localities; 

 therefore, it is not to be wondered that some of the early authors got 

 a bit mixed in their nomenclature. The names now stand Hieracidea 

 nrienfalis for the Brown Hawk, H. herigora for the Western Brown 

 Hawk. It is rather unfortunate that " berigora," wliich is the aboriginal 

 name for the bird in New South Wales, should have been applied per- 

 manently to the Western species. To be clear about this Western variety, 

 the bird may be recognised by its more rafous or iiisty plumage, which 

 is much Ughter on the imder sru-face ; besides, there is a narrow dark 

 stripe down the centre of each feather. 



The Western or Striped Brown Hawk, although found in many parts 

 of Australia, is not so common as the ordinai^y Brown Hawk, and ranges 

 more over the vast western temtorv. 



