ciHCUs. 179 



and in a paralysed state, were not infrequently found in the nest, no doubt placed there for the 

 benefit of the sitting bird." 



The nest is a nearly Hat structure, the basis formed of sticks and twigs, and the cup-shaped 

 depression in the centre lined with Eucalyptus leaves. It is built in a thick bushy tree at a 

 height varying from five to forty feet from the ground. 



The eggs are usually three, sometimes only two, and rarely four in number for a sitting. 

 They vary from oval to rounded ovals in form, specimens being occasionally found tapering 

 somewhat sharply at the smaller end, of a dull white or faint bluish-white, rather coarse shelled, 

 dull and usually lustreless, the inner surface of the shell dark green, the outer surface in places 

 generally more or less nest-stained, and usually of a pale brown or yellowish-brown hue. A set 

 ol two taken by the late Mr. K. Bennett, on Vandembah Station, on the 24th September, 1889, 

 measures as follows:— Length (A) 2-01 x 1-57 inches; (H) 1-95 x 1-57 inches. A set of three 

 taken by him in the same locality on the 4th October, 1890, measures :— Length (A) 1-93 x 

 0-51 inches; (8)2-04 =< 1-5 inches ; (C) 2-02 x 1-47 inches. 



A young one taken from the nest by the late Mr. K. H. Bennett on the 23rd December, 

 1879, from a tree on the Lachlan River, New South Wales, has the head, lower back and rump 

 covered with dull ashy-grey down, intermingled with some rich rufous feathers on the hinder 

 crown, hind-neck and back, centred with dark brown ; the upper wing-coverts and scapulars paler 

 and having the apical portion of the feathers rufous; (juills and tail-feathers brownish-black, 

 slightly tipped with pale rufous, all the under surface covered with dull whity-brown down, 

 scattered rufous feathers with a blackish shaft streak occurring on the chest and breast, and 

 light fawn downy feathers on the abdomen, thighs and under tail-coverts. Wing 8-3 inches. 



Young birds that have long left the nest exhibit almost the same plumage as the nestling, 

 but the rufous tips to the feathers of the upper parts are much smaller and paler, the tail-feathers 

 are brown, indistinctly barred with darker brown, and the head and ear-coverts are pale rufous 

 and the feathers of the former are centred with dark brown; the under surface is pale rufous- 

 buff with narrow blackish shaft-lines, and passing into bufly-white on the thighs and abdomen. 

 Wing i4'7 inches. 



Semi-adult birds of both sexes resemble adult birds, but have narrow rufous and white tips 

 to the scapulars, and the markings on the under surface instead of being rounded white spots 

 are joined together and form a whitish streak down each sveb of the feathers. Wing 15 inches. 



In New South Wales September and the three following months constitute the usual 

 breeding season, the late Mr. K. II. Bennett finding unfledged young at the latter end of 

 December. In Western Australia the Calvert Exploring Expedition obtained eggs near the 

 Camel Depot on the i8th August, 1896, and again during the journey on the 26th September. 

 In North-western Australia Mr. Tom Carter has taken eggs, at Point Cloates, from the 17th 

 July to the 13th September. 



Circus gouldi. 



GOULD'S HARRIER. 



Circus asuiiailis (nee Jard. and .Selby), Gould, Bds. Austr., fol. Vol. I., pi. 2G (1848); i,l., 

 Handbk. Bds. Austr., Vol. I., p. .58 (186.5). 



Circus yonJdi, Bonap , Consp. Av., toin. 1., p. 34 (18.50) ; Sharpe, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. I., p. 

 72 (1874) ; id., Haiid-1. Bds., Vol. I., p. 240 (1899). 



Adult m.\le. — (reiLeml colour ubore durk Ijroivn, th" feathers of f tie tirad, liiin/, neck aud iium/le 

 with reddisltfidroiis murijias, Itie up/ier iciiiy-cocerls und scapulars irilli riijoas-brinvv. margins: 



