88 Mathews, " What are Australian Petrels ? "- [,J'"\"t 



western, several in the eastern part. No specimens have yet 

 been procured, though Ferguson {Emu, vol xv., p. 249, 1916) 

 also noted it. 



[Mr. Mathews's article is very suggestive, and might lead to 

 more marine excursions in Australian seas than inland. But it 

 would probably be unwise to suppress any of Gould's Australian 

 Petrels because specimens have not been taken since his day. In 

 circumnavigating the southern seas, Gould paid especial attention 

 to the Petrels, and such records as he left are very direct, and so 

 careful an authority would scarcely figure folio plates of Petrels 

 which had no connection with the Australian region. Moreover, 

 since Gouldian days great ocean steamers have taken the place 

 of sailing vessels. The former are now numerous, and in ploughing 

 the usual ocean tracts the shyer species of Petrels may have 

 been driven from their beats a bit. The Cape Petrel {Daption 

 capcnsis), for instance, at one time numerous between the Cape 

 and Australia, of later years, for some reason or otlier, is less 

 frequently observed, or is not seen at all. — Eds. J 



Food of Diurnal Birds of Prey. 



By I). Le SoriiF, C.M.Z.S., Zoological Gardens, Melbourne. 



These splendid birds are often maligned without cause, therefore 

 I thought that a few personal observations from those who are 

 well known to us, and on whose word we can rely, would be of 

 value. 



Mr. E. R. Caldwell, of Gilgi. Pampas, X.S.VW, states that, 

 although he has been accustomed to these birds, and also sheep, 

 all his life, he has never known them to kill a lamb, although he 

 has seen them eating stray carcasses. He states that he has 

 spoken to many persons in his district on the subject, and they 

 all say that this bird does far more good than harm, in killing 

 rabbits. On one occasion, some years ago, he was shooting in 

 the Cohuna district, and saw a pair of Eagles perched on a bush, 

 and on walking up a hare jumped out and the birds went after 

 liini. He next saw the birds sitting on the rails ot a cu]\-ert, and 

 on approaching it the birds flew away, and seven hares dashed 

 out ; they evidently had gone there to shelter from the Eagles. 

 He says that he has seen many hares killed by these birds of j^rey. 

 He also saw an Eagle quickly descend and take a kangaroo-rat 

 from its nest. 



Mr. T. p. .Austin, of (Ohljorali I'state, Col)l)()ia, X.S.W., who is 

 so well known in his writings on ornithology, also states : — " My 

 own personal experience is that I ha\'i' never known of a single 

 lamb to be killed by these birds. There are always a fail' numl)er 

 of them about here, and, as far as I can see, they do no harm 

 whatever, but much good in killing rabbits. In my time I sui)pose 

 T have climbed to nearh' one hundred of their n(sts, an<l lia\'e never 



