42 BIRDS OV AUSTRALIA. 



specimens, I was satisfied that tliey were all referable to tlie 

 present bird, — A. radiatus heing the young male, A.fasciatas 

 the adult, and A. approximans the young female. I have 

 retained the term approximans in preference to either of the 

 others, because radiatus actually belongs to another species, 

 and the employment oi fasciatus might hereafter lead to its 

 being confounded with the "Fasciated Falcon," an Indian 

 species described under that name by Dr. Latham. 



This bird is one of the most abundant and generally 

 dispersed of the Hawks inhabiting New South Wales and 

 Tasmania. It is a species which ranges pretty far north ; but 

 on the western coast its place appears to be supplied by the 

 Astur cruentus. The country between South Australia and 

 Moreton Bay may be considered its true habitat ; and there 

 it is a stationary resident. 



The Australian Goshawk is a bold, powerful, and most 

 sanguinary species, feeding upon birds, reptiles, and small 

 quadrupeds. It may often be seen lurking about the poultry- 

 yard of the settler, and dealing destruction among the young 

 stock of every kind. 



Its nest is usually built on a large swamp-oak {Casuarina) 

 growing on the side of a brook, but I have occasionally met 

 with it on the gum-trees (Eucalypti) in the forest at a con- 

 siderable distance from water ; it is of a large size, and is 

 composed of sticks and lined with gum-leaves. The eggs are 

 generally three in number, of a bluish white, smeared over 

 with blotches of brownish buff; they are one inch and ten 

 lines long by one inch and five lines broad. The nesting- 

 season commences in August, and continues till November. 



The male, which is considerably less than the female in 

 size, has the crown of the head and nape of the neck leaden 

 grey ; on the back of the neck an obscure collar of rufous 

 brown ; the remainder of the upper surface, wings, and tail 

 deep greyish brown ; the latter numerously barred with 

 brown of a deeper tint ; inner webs of the primaries and 



