Voi.xvili.-j ljj Soukf, Food of Diurnal Birds of Prey. QI 



soar over the timber in front of tlie tire, on tlic look-out for 

 prey." 



Our well-known Mr. Tom Tregallas mentions that on a recent 

 trip to the Mallee district, near Dimboola, in Victoria, he " found 

 Eagles very plentiful, and abundant evidence of the way they 

 wage war on rabbits. One nest contained two young fledgelings 

 and a quantity of broken-up rabbit, with a portion of a stump- 

 tailed lizard. The last nest I climbed up to I will never forget ; 

 it was in a big belar tree, as most of them are up here, and all the 

 way to the nest I had to cHmb through and amongst rabbit meat, 

 which seemed to have been stripped off and cast aside pro- 

 miscuously. As I neared the nest the stench became almost 

 unbearable, and the blow-flies were in hundreds. Surmounting 

 the nest, I found it contained one young bird, about three weeks 

 old, and enough food to last him another three weeks. Rabbits 

 in all stages of putrefaction literally strewed the nest, and there 

 were also portions of jew and stump-tailed lizards and other 

 unsavoury morsels that I dared not stay to identify." 



Mr. Joseph A. Hill, of Golton South, Victoria, states : — 

 " These birds are common in our district and breed there. Hares 

 seem to be their favourite prey, and I have seen them catching 

 these rodents when other food, such as dead lambs and sheep, 

 was abundant. They can observe the hare in its form from a 

 great height, the first bird coming down with partially-closed 

 wings straight for the hare ; should it miss the second Eagle comes 

 down as the hare is running. \i missed again the first bird is 

 ready for another drive, and so they continue until the hare is 

 either exhausted or bewildered, and is then an easy prey. The 

 only chance the hare has of escaping is a fence, the hare dodging 

 backwards and forwards through the fence ; the Eagle here is 

 (Hitclassed every time. I have seen the Eagle at different times 

 with possums ; on one occasion with a full-grown rooster, and 

 once a full-grown Turkey, and on several occasions ha\'e seen 

 them catch Cockatoos, and only twice catch young lambs. The 

 first occasion was some years ago, but without doubt the Eagle 

 killed the lamb. The second came under my notice last year, 

 when I saw an Eagle swoop at a lamb a few days old ; the lamb 

 ran to its mother, just missing being caught. The Eagle rested 

 on a fence close by, and as soon as the mother got away from the 

 lam I) the liagle made another swoop, again missing, and again 

 settled on the fence. The Eagle tried a third time, the lamb only 

 escaping bv running under its mother, the bird actually striking 

 the mother witli its wings. The Eagle then appeared to have 

 a different plan, and settled in a tree, so as to swoop from above, 

 but the tree happened to be within range of my rifle, and I shot 

 the bird. I had seen this same Eagle previoush' with a lami") 

 just killed, but did not see him actually kill it. Tlie l)ird was a 

 very old (me. 1 do not think as a rule Eagles kill laml)s." 



Mr. Tom Carlcr, who now lives in- England, gives some inter- 

 esting notes, l)nt we ha\'(' to rcmcmlx'r that in the distrit-ts lie 



