BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 5 



Breeding Season. — August to November. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, Australia, and New 

 Guinea. 



Observations. — With an easy and graceful flight, this elegant 

 winged arrow of a bird skims the hedgerows and trees, and marks 

 down its victim. Of all our Hawks this species is the quickest on 

 the wing, and the most feared by small birds. In the northern 

 parts of the island, at least, it is not as plentiful as either the 

 Goshawk or Brown Hawk. 



Sub- Family — Aquilinae. 



WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE 



[UroaHtus audax, Latham). 



Male. — Upper and under surfaces, except back of the neck, deep 

 brownish-black ; feathers on upper back and chest minutely tipped 

 with pale brown ; back of the neck pale reddish-brown ; head ligb.ter 

 than body ; bases of the feathers snow-white. Dimensions in mai. : 

 —Length, 1,091; bill, 62; wing, 598; tail, 433; tarsus, 94. 



Female. — Similar in plumage. 



As the age of the bird increases, the major wing coverts turn 

 rusty in proportion; the chest takes on a lighter hue. 



Young. — Eufous where the adult bird is blackish. 



Nest. — A bulky structure of dead sticks, lined with green 

 twigs, grass, and soft bark; placed in the branches of a lofty tree 

 in a commanding position. 



Eggs. — Clutch two usually, one or even three sometimes ; round 

 or round oval in shape; texture fairly coarse, and surface almost 

 without lustre ; ground colour brownish-white, more or less heavily 

 marked and blotched with rusty-red and dull purplisli. Dimen- 

 sions in mm. of odd examples : — (1) 73.5 x 60, (2) 73 x 61. 



Breeding Season. — August to November. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania and Australia in general. 



Observations. — Although never as plentiful as in the northern 

 part of the mainland, it is, nevertheless, numerous enough in some 

 districts to justify shepherds keeping a sharp look-out, gun in hand, 

 during the lambing season. Poison is also sometimes employed. 

 For a couple of months during the summer of 1908 five large 

 specimens were seen, day after day, wheeling round the summit 

 and slopes of Mt. Arthur. Only solitary individuals had before 

 been seen in the district. One afternoon in the same summer two 

 fine specimens were seen slowly winging their way over Laun- 

 ceston at a comparatively low elevation. The Lake District is one 

 of its strongholds. The bird above described, and whose measure- 

 ments are given, had a stretch of 7 feet 6 inches from tip to tip 

 of its wings when alive. 



