140 Le Souef, Birds' -eggs from Northern Australia. [isfTan. 



Haliaetus leucogaster (White-bellied Sea-Eagle). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. i., p. 307 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 13, 

 sp. 3. 



17th June was the date on which the stick nest of this bird 

 was found ; it contained two eggs, dull white in colour, slightly- 

 glossed, and coarse in texture. The nest was a very large one, 

 situated on a good-sized eucalyptus tree, and not far from the 

 coast line. The eggs measure — A, 2.80 x 2 ; B, 2.82 x 2.02 

 inches. 



Haliastur INDUS, sub-species GIRRENERA (White-headed 



Sea-Eagle). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. i., p. 315 ; (jould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 17, 

 sp. 4. 



The ground colour of these eggs is dull white, without gloss, 

 and the markings vary considerably, no two being alike, those 

 from one nest being most similar. Some have large dark brown 

 blotches forming an irregular zone round the larger end ; others 

 are plentifully marked with brown spots on the smaller end ; 

 some have very light brown or buff blotches on the larger end, 

 decreasing in number towards the smaller end ; another egg has 

 only markings on the small end, which are very numerous right 

 over the apex ; others, again, have only a few small brown 

 markings, mostly on the larger end. Eight nests with fresh eggs 

 in were found, on the following dates: — 17th, 30th April (2); 

 1st, 2nd, 7th, 17th May, and ist June. Two of the nests had 

 two eggs in, the rest one each. The eggs measure— A, (i) 2.18 

 X 1.66, (2) 2.18 X 1.70; B, 2.12 X 1.68 ; C, 2.24 X 1.67 ; D, 2.28 

 x 1.72 ; E, 2.16 X 1.74 ; F, 2.46 x 1.69 : G, 2.18 x 1.72 ; H, 2.10 

 X 1.84 inches. 



Haliastur sphenurus (Whistling Eagle). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. i., p. 316; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 20, 

 sp. 5. 

 The eggs of these birds are of a dull white, with very few 

 markings. Some have practically none ; others, again, a few 

 faint small ones on the larger end, on the apex, or forming an 

 irregular zone, while some have a few irregular spots or lines of 

 reddish-brown scattered over the surface. The clutch is 

 generally two, but occasionally only one, and rarely three. The 

 dates on which these eggs were taken are — 26th April ; 9th, 

 22nd, and 28th May. They measure — A, (i) 2.20 x 1.68, (2) 

 2.20 x 1.68 ; B, (i) 2.18 x 1.66, (2) 2.28 X 1.70 ; C, 2.23 x 1.80 ; 

 D, 2.27 X 1.77 ; E, 2.20 X 1.70; F, 2.31 X 1.76 inches. 



MiLVUS AFFINIS (Kite). 



Cat. B. Brit. Mus., vol. i., p. 323 ; Gould's Handbook, vol. i., p. 219, 



sp. 21. 



Kites seem very plentiful in the northern districts of Australia. 



Their eggs vary in size and markings, and are a swollen oval in 



shape, like that of a Great Kingfisher, which easily distinguishes 



