Vol. XI 

 iqi2 



] Reviews. 263 



correspondents in various parts of the Commonwealth. There are 

 also some fine illustrations of -tall" climbing. Here, under the 

 heading of Black- breasted Kite, formerly called Buzzard (Gypoidinia 

 melano^tcrnitm), is a samj)le field-note, by Dr. Wm. Macgillivray, of 

 Broken Hill, and a member of the R.A.O.U. : — 



" During nearly nine years' residence, and a good deal of wandering through 

 the scrubs and along the creeks of the district, I have only come across two 

 pairs of these birds, and until 1909 had found only one nesting-place. My 

 notes must necessarily deal mostly with one pair of birds. In 1907 Mr. 

 M'Lennan and I, with some others, on our return journey from Langawirra, 

 camped on Talcowinna Creek, about 35 miles from Broken Hill. Early 

 ne.Kt morning 9th .September, we proceeded to investigate the nesting along 

 the creek ; rutting oft" a large bend to leave a portion near the camp, we 

 struck the creek where a Cockatoo {Cacatiia sanguinea) flying from a hole 

 40 feet up in a tall gum attracted our attention to a large nest in the same 

 tree, on which a bird was seen to be sitting. It was a very windy morning, 

 and the bird sat closely ; sticks and stones were thrown up, but she did 

 not move until a shot was fired in the air from the specimen gun, when a 

 magnificent female of the black-breasted Buzzard left the nest, but kept 

 soaring round and round at a respectful distance. Seen from below she 

 was a splendid bird, both from her proportions and colouring ; her black 

 breast and ruddy under surface, and the dark primaries contrasting with 

 the conspicuous white band across their bases, easily distinguish her from 

 all other birds of prey. The male, who soon joined her, is only about half 

 her size, and not nearly so conspicuously marked ; he has none of her rich 

 colouring, no black breast, and pinions not so dark, his breast seen through 

 the glass being fawn-coloured. When soaring, which they both do, like the 

 Wedge-tailed Eagle, with the carpal joint fully extended and primaries 

 all spread out and separate, the male appears in colouring like a brightly 

 marked Little Eagle. The difference in size between male and female is, 

 however, more marked even than in the Goshawks. When soaring round 

 watching the climbers at work, the female kept uttering a series of short, 

 sharp cries in quick succession, much resembling the alarm note of the 

 Wedge-tailed Eagle The nest was at a height of about 70 feet, placed in 

 the fork of a rather thin horizontal limb. Seen from below it presented a 

 loosely built and flat appearance. Sticks half to one inch in diameter were 

 used in its construction ; it was 2 feet by 3 feet across, with an egg cavity 

 9 inches in diameter, lined with green gum-leaves. The nest contained 

 two fresh eggs. On the ground under the nest were the remains of rabbits. 

 The Blood-stained Cockatoo's nest in the same tree contained three eggs." 



Under the White Goshawk {Aster novcB-hollandia), on the 

 authority of Mr. Geo. Savage, Mr. North quotes an instance of that 

 species inter-breeding with the Grey Goshawk (.4. clarus (cineretis) ), 

 but offers no comments on the interesting occurrence. Although 

 Mr. North quotes Mr. H. Greensill Barnard in several instances, he 

 omits that collector's field observations of the apparently common 

 occurrence of the inter-breeding of the White Goshawks and the 

 Grey, at Cape York — vide Emu, vol. x., p. 247 (1910). The author 

 of the Australian Museum's " Special Catalogue, No. i," is to be 

 commended for his consistency in two things — he never quotes 

 where there is the faintest suspicion of doubtful authenticity, and 

 he never quotes contemj)orar\' Australian authors. The latter, of 

 course, keeps his work original, but at the risk of leaving students 

 in the dark. 



