62 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



(probably some of the small marsupials). These birds are of a 

 slatey grey color, very strongly built, and furnished with extremely 

 formidable talons and bill. They appear to be very fierce, 

 and to behave exactly in the same manner inland as the Black- 

 cheeked Falcon does near the coast. 



White-fronted Falcon ( Falco lunulatus). — This is not only 

 one of our smallest and boldest, but also fiercest hawks. This is 

 the bird which I find is generally alluded to as the sparrowhawk. 

 Strongly built, and furnished with true falcon bill, legs, and talons, 

 I have several times seen them kill and carry off birds heavier 

 than themselves. When hungry they are not at all particular 

 whether it is a finch or a pigeon. Owing to its rapid flight it 

 seems to be able to overtake any other bird on the wing. They 

 were found in many places, but especially at rock pools and 

 waterholes where no doubt food was most plentiful. At one pool 

 a pair dashed into a flock of finches, seized a bird each, flew 

 away, and in five minutes returned, appearing as if by magic, 

 and repeated the operation. They are found throughout Aus- 

 tralia, and I have shot them in many places near Melbourne. 



Western Brown Hawk ( Hieracidea berigora). — These birds 

 were found throughout the trip, and although on several occasions 

 in the spinifex country we could not see a single bird, members 

 of our party fired the grass, which burned readily ; small mar- 

 supials, lizards, and mice were disturbed by the flames, and a 

 dense smoke arose. In a few minutes these hawks appeared in 

 numbers, and dashed through the smoke, seizing their prey as 

 they darted from one tussock to another. These birds are very 

 careless in their nidification, and seldom build a new nest if an 

 old one can be found. Their eggs are too well known to require 

 description. The plumage of these birds varies considerably with 

 age, so much so that some authorities confuse the two species of 

 Hieracidea, but I am of the same opinion as Mr. North and 

 others, which is that there are two distinct species. 



Nankeen Kestrel ( Tinmmculus cenchroides). — These pretty 

 little birds were found wherever timber or scrub was seen, but 

 were most numerous near Hermannsburg and Alice Springs. 

 Whether perched on some high stump or branch, or balancing 

 themselves in the air, watching some unwary lizard, their 

 behaviour was precisely the same as that of their friends nearer 

 home. Mr. Cowle has sent me a number of their eggs, which 

 show considerable variation in colour. 



Boobook Owl (Ninox boobook). — These well-known owls are 

 most plentiful along the Finke River, but wherever large timber 

 was found they were numerous. At one point of the trip a fine 

 specimen was secured before sunset, as it was busy seeking its 

 prey. Another was shot at midday in a mulga scrub. 



Delicate Owl (Strix delicatula). — Although I did not see or 

 obtain a specimen of this bird, at one point in the ranges the 



