40 



NESTS A. YD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



dition, Mr. G. A. Keartland took foiu- Kestrel's eggs from the bollow 

 spout of a dead tree near the camp. Ciiriously enough the nesting-place 

 was lined with pellets of camel's dung. 



Gould also observed nests which he supposed were constructed by the 

 Kestrel, but saved himself by sunnising that possibly they may have been 

 deserted domiciles of Ravens or Crow Shrikes. The great natvu'alist's 

 surmise ha« since proved con-ect. 



My next adventvue with Kestrels was many years after the railway 

 " incident," with my namesake, Mr. Charles E. Campbell, among the belts 

 of " box " timber on the plains, near Pyramid Hill, Victoria. All our 

 finds were taken from Ravens' old nests, and usually the full complement 

 of five eggs. In some cases, many Ravens' nests containing their own eggs 

 were in the same tree with the Kestrels. The following are taken from 

 my notes : — 



4th October, 1884. — Found Kestrel's {i.e., a Raven's) nest with 

 yoimg and one egg. Ravens' nests with young also in the 

 same tree. 



6th October, 188^. — Took out of Raven's old nest 5 Kestrel's eggs. 



7th „ „ ,, „ 4 



9th „ „ „ „ 5 



I possess a note from South Australia by Mr. James C. McDougaU, 

 stating that the Nankeen Kestrel there nests commonly in Ravens' nests, 

 laying four eggs ; wliile on the western side of the Continent Mr. Tom Carter 

 has recorded for me: — "September 22nd; five Kestrel's eggs on the 

 Miiiilga River." " November 8th and 15th : Eggs just hatching. Twenty- 

 five miles inland from Point Cloates." Also he noted the remarkable 

 discovei-y of a Kestrel's nest in one of the ant-hillocks, which are con- 

 spicuous featiu'es in the coimtry thereabouts and elsewhere northward. 



Breeding months of the Kestrel may include from August to November 

 or to December. 



Sub=order — Pandiones: Ospreys. 



29. — Pandion haliaetus (sub-species) leucocephalus, Gould. — (6) 

 WHITE-HEADED OSPREY. 



Figure. — Gould; Birds of Australia, fol., vol. i , pi. 6. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. i , p 451 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould: Birds of Australia {1848), also 



Handbook, vol. i., p. 23 (1S65) ; Ramsay : P.Z.S., p. 578 (1875) ; 



North : .\ustn. Mus. Cat., p. 23, pi 5, figs. 1-2 (1889) : Campbell : 



Proc. Austn. Assoc , vol. vi.. p. 443 (1895). 



Geographical Distribution. — AustraUan coast in general and Tas- 

 mania; also New Guinea and Moluccas. 



Nest. — A stiiictiu'e of great size, about foiu- feet high by the same 

 dimension in breadth, built of sticks, with a shallow cavity lined with 



