88 ASH BY — Some Tami'inian Bird Notts. 



—Rapid Flight of the Falcon m Pursuit of a Homing Pigeon. — 

 Mr. Vaughan, who now lives at LunaAvanna, some years 

 ago lived at Newtown, one of the suburbs of Hobart, Tasninnia. 

 While in his g.'u-den he saw a P^ilcou. ])rol)ab]y the Little 

 Falcon (Falco lunalatus Latham) in pursuit of a Homing 

 Pigeon. The falcon caught up with the pigeon almost above 

 his liead, struck and missed, the pigeon turned back on its 

 course and tiew istraight for the distant church spire. The 

 falcon hovered for scmie time ever rising upwards, by the time 

 it had reached the desired altitude the pigeon appeared to be 

 fully half way to the distant church, the falcon .set after it and 

 caught it up clo.se to the church. It failed again, and the 

 pigeon turned back iigaiu on its i-eceut course; the falcon 

 rejieated i'ts previous methods, striking at the pigeon a third 

 time exactly ab<^ve Mr. \'aughan"s head and the pigeon then 

 fell at his feet. 



He could see no wound when he picked up the bird but 

 noticed a small metal ring round its leg. It was alive though 

 much distressed. He took it to a. bird fancier friend of his who, 

 by means of the ring, was able to find the owner. 



I regret to say that 1 omitted to ascertain I he distance 

 away tlie church was. but I was given to understand that it 

 was a long way, though not so far that he could not keep the 

 birds in sight all the time. The pace of the falcon's swoop 

 must have been nearly Iwice that of the i)igeon in full flight. 

 It is also remarkal>le that the falcon should have three failures 

 chalked up to him; possibly the last ^vas only a i)artial failure, 

 but owing to the good offices of my friend the ])igeon's life was 

 saved. 



Observations at Ooldea. 



To llie ICditorial ('ommirti'c, 



Sttulli Austi-alian < )niiliiologisl. 



Dear Kirs, 



In the S.A. Ornithologist for July ist of this yeai- Mr. 

 A. S, LeSouef still holds that he was correct in his observation 

 of the Ooldea birds, but states that he is likely to visit the 

 locality again and will obtain specimens. What need was 

 there for (his when my work, extending over .several months, 

 has been published as far back as January, 1019. Four Orni- 

 thological trips to the Nullabor Plain. 1st in 1017. in The Emu, 

 Vol. XVIII. Part 3. 



