Vol. V. 

 1905 



] Berney, Birds of the Ricluiioml District, N .Q. 1 9 



inspection to be made by anyone walking round just below, and 

 screwing its head round as it follows your movements. General food 

 appears to be grasshoppers, centipedes, lizards, et hoc genus omne. I 

 never saw them tackle a live bird, though on one occasion I did see one 

 after a Native-Hen (Trihonyx ventralis) on a claypan fiat where there 

 was no shelter for the Tribonyx. If it wanted to catch the latter it 

 was making a very poor show, but if, on the other hand, it was only 

 having a " lark," then it was frightening the life out of the fowl. 



Of this and the succeeding species it is hard to say which is the more 

 numerous here. I am inclined to say the present bird (berigora) is, 

 although supposed to be the more Western form. 



A nest that I inspected 12th November, 1902, contained a single 

 chick. They are at times very much more numerous than at others, 

 but this, I think, is due to the sort of season we are having, to the 

 scarcity or abundance of certain food. 



Brown Hawk {Hieracidea orienialis). — The remarks made in con- 

 nection with the preceding species as regards food and habits are 

 applicable to this except that I do not think the dark bird is so confiding, 

 and, as I have already stated, I am inclined to think that this is the 

 less numerous of the two. 



Nankeen Kestrel {Cerchneis cenchroides). — May be seen any day. 

 That the Kestrel is easily satisfied in selecting a nesting site is well 

 known, and the following notes only serve to confirm the fact : — 



I St January, 1898. — A brood of well-feathered young in the hollow 

 limb of a coolibah. 



13 th September, 1899. — Three eggs in the deserted nest of a Wedge- 

 tailed Eagle (Uroaclus aiidax). 



17th September, 1904. — Two nests, once Crows', I expect ; three 

 eggs in each. 



4th October, 1899. — Nest in hollow limb of a coolibah. 



15th November, 1898. — Three chicks in the deserted nest of a Kite 

 {Milvus). 



BooBOOK Owl (Ninox boohook). — The Boobook is to be heard calling 

 at night now and again. The cry resembles " buc buc " as often as 

 " boobook." 



Winking Owl (Ninox connivens). — A dead Owl of this species that 

 I picked up in October, 1899, was kindly identified for me by Mr. 

 C. W. de Vis, of the Queensland Museum. 



Grass-Owl (Strix Candida). — A small portion rescued from a Wedge- 

 tailed Eagle in October, 1903, and which Mr. A. J. Campbell was good 

 enough to identify for me, is niy only certain evidence of this Owl, 

 but on two or three occasions, sometimes in daylight, I have seen a 

 similar bird, which from the locality — open grass downs — it is pretty 

 safe to say was referable to this species rather than to S. delicatula. 



Crow (Corvus coronoides). — The Crows fiock in winter and nest in 

 summer. I have seen a nest of fully fledged young on 29th November. 

 My notes of eggs or young extend thence up to 24th March, on which 

 day I examined a nest containing three squabs and two eggs, the 

 latter just hatching. 



They choose strange situations for nesting at times. I have seen 

 them build up on the derrick of a windmill. At another time a nest 

 with five eggs was found on the crown of a low polygonum bush in 

 a dry swamp — this would not be more than 3 or 4 feet above the 



