Avifauna of New Caledonia. 497 



the Pigeons. Apparently she thought so also ; for, just as I 

 expected to see her hurled lifeless to the ground, up she 

 darted again in a graceful curve, with an imperceptible move- 

 ment of the wings, till far above my head. The Pigeons 

 evidently felt their security was to cower in the ridges of the 

 zinc ; and there they remained, immovable. At last, finding 

 all her efforts to dislodge them ineflFectual, the baffled Hawk 

 darted off down the valley, and was miles away in a moment. 

 (E. L. L.) 



This Falcon is widely distributed, but nowhere common. 

 Feeds on small birds (and the colonists" fowls and pigeons, 

 when it can get them) , lizards, and locusts. We have received 

 a fine specimen from Vate (Sandwich Island) , one of the New 

 Hebrides group ; but how far beyond that it extends we are 

 not able to say. 



2. Pandion leucocephalus, Gould. 



This Australian Osprey builds on the small islets found on 

 either coast of this island, or on rocky headlands on the coast 

 itself. In the former places it constructs its nest on low 

 thick bushes ; in the latter it almost always selects a high 

 inaccessible tree. The nest is a huge structure of sticks, 

 added to yearly, the birds frequenting the same spot for a 

 long period if undisturbed. It breeds from July to Sep- 

 tember. We had a fine female brought to us on the 1st of 

 July, 1879, shot off the eggs, which our friend did not bring, 

 thinking we did not want them ! ! He described them as 

 white, with large dark patches and blotches, and two in number. 

 From a nest at Mar Point, near Noumea, we had sent us three 

 yomig ones, just able to fly, on the 28th September 1880. 



It feeds much on fish, sea-snakes, and marine spoils 

 generally, but does not confine itself to that diet, or the sea- 

 coast entirely. As we (E. L. L.) write this very note, at Moin- 

 dou, some eight or ten miles inland, a pair are circling about in 

 front of oiir window investigating the whereabouts of our 

 host's (M. Boyer) turkeys. He tells us it is the same pair 

 that we saw here last year, and thinks they must have nested 



* I have recently received it from the Fijis. — H. B. T. 



