72 



AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 



ORDER XV. — ACCIPITRIFORMES, DIURNAL BIRDS OF 

 PREY. 



F. 66. Scrpentariidae, Secretary-Bird, 2 sp. E. 



F. 67. Vultvridae, Vultures, 17 sp.— 8(5)0., 6(0) P., 9(5)E. 



F. 68. FALCONIDAE (29), HARRIERS, GOSHAWKS, 

 EAGLES, FALCON, etc., 485 sp.— 99(86) A., 

 106(58)0., 70(19)P., 118(91)E., 53(17)Nc., 

 144(112)N1. 



2 151 Spotted HaiTier (Jardine), Spotted Swamp-Hawk, 



18 Circus assimilis, Gel. to A., T. Stat. c. plains 22 



therefore, much like the Eagles of another. The Harriers of Eng- 

 land are practically identical with the Harriers of Australia and 

 New Zealand, and, in fact, of almost any other land. The Falcon, 

 so famous in mediaeval times, is practically identical with the 

 Falcon of Australia and Tasmania. The Australian Fish Hawk 

 is the universal Fish Hawk or Osprey, for there is probably but 

 one Osprey, having an almost world-wide range. The naming of 

 these birds, though, has been a stumbling-block to us. To Aus- 

 tralians they are all Hawks — even our gigantic and glorious Eagle 

 has been reduced to the ignominious level of an "Eaglehawk," 

 though our male Eagle is the largest male Eagle known, outrival- 

 ling, as it does, both the Bald Eagle of America and the Golden 

 Eagle of Europe. A source of confusion, too, has arisen from 

 the introduction of so many of our popular names from America. 

 Thus, the Gum-tree (Bucalypt) is not a Gum, the 'Possum is not 



