184 FALCONID^. 



C3-en.i:iS -if^oTXJIS, Laa'po.dp.. 



Astur clarus. 



GREY-HACKED GOSHAWK 



Faico clnriiii. Lath. Ind. Orn., Siippl. II., p. xiii. (ISUl). 



Sparring: riiiprrug, Vipill, Noin. Dich. il'Hist. Nat, Tom. X,, p. :!:is (1S17). 



Astur ii(irii-/ioUaiu/iir, (Jou\t], iJils. Aiistr., fol. Vol. T,, pi. 14 (1^4^). 



Leuco.ijti~.ia raii, Gould, Handbk. Bd.s. Austi., Vol. 1., p. .'57 (186-5). 



Asfnr ciiii-rctis, Sharpp, Oat. Bd.s. Brit. Mus., Vol. I., p. 117 (1S74); m^., Haud-1. Bds., Vol. I., p. 

 2."iO (1891)). 



Af^fur cJnri-s, Sharpe, Hist. Coll. Brit. Mus., p. 112 (1006). 



Adult m.ivle. — Generul colour aiiovf hhnsli-ash ro/oiir, bases of (he fenlhers of (Ite lu'ad and 

 liiiid ii'ck /litre irhilc : back and ivinys n^iliii-iirfi/ , Imsn/ jjorfioii of the inner irehs of the qidUs while, 

 the a/iicaf half of the primaries /lariiiJ/ n broii-nisli ira^h : fail-feat/iers ashy i/reij, the hosaJ /lorliun of 

 the iwier utebs of all lint t/ir central pair iril/i nfiitish innnjins and liaciug the remains of dark bron'ii 

 crosi-harf! : lores and fntliers around the eye uliitish : bases of the iii.rcorerts irJi.ifish, passing into light 

 asli. colour at the tips ; all the n iider surface white, the aniler a-i,ng-coi:erts and nnder tail-corerts haring 

 the remains of uarron' as/it/ cross-liars on the breast, irhich are more distinct on the sides ; cere ricli 

 clirotne-yelloiv, bill black, legs and feet rieh chroiiie-yelloiv : irii redi/ish-bmnui. Total length in the 

 Jiesli. lH-'i inches, iriiig 10\.' tail 7'7, bill 1-f tarsus .'li. 



Adult fem.\le. — Similar in pliman/e to llie nude, bat larger. Total length in the flesh .10 

 indies, n'ing l.'^l, tail 9'7,'), bill /•-■', tarsus ■>. 



Distribution. — Oueensland, New South Wales, N'ictoria. 



^i^lllC range of the Grey-backed Cioshawk, the well-known Astiit' linerciis of most authors, 

 e.xtends from Cape York in Northern (Queensland to \'ictoria ; its stronE;hold, howe\'er, 

 is the south-eastern portion of the former State, and North-eastern New South Wales. At one 

 time it was common around Sydney, and specimens are still occasionally received from the 

 suburbs by the Trustees of the Australian Museum, hut not so trerjuently as in former years. 

 It also occurs in the southern coastal districts, but it is much rarer as one reaches the southern 

 border of the State, its range extending to the heavily timbered districts of Southern Victoria. 

 Of the specimens in the .'\ustralian Museum Collection, the late Mr. J. A. Thorpe procured 

 immature examples at Cape York, (Jueensland, as did Mr. K. Broadbent at Cairns, Mr. J. 

 Kainbird procured adults at I^ort Denison, and Mr. George Masters at Gayndah, Pine Mountain 

 and Wide Bay. There is a specimen obtained at Sydney, an adult male presented by Mr. Thos. 

 Lewis, procured at Wooloomooloo, adjoining Sydney, another obtained by Mr. H. Carpenter 

 at Hunter's Hill, and a young male procured by Mr. John Kamsay at Dobroyde, near .Ashfield. 

 From the Illawarra District the late .VIr. J. .\. Thorpe and Mr. J. ^'ardley procured specimens 

 at Cambewarra, and Mr. Ivobt. Grant an adult female from the Kangaroo Valley. For many 

 years past, at various times, Mr. George Savidge has procured the nests and eggs of this species 

 in the scrubs of the Upper Clarence District, and has also sent me a skin for examination. 

 Apparently with age Astur clams loses the ashy cross-bars on the under surface, for both in adult 

 and probably very old males and females now before me, they are almost obsolete in some 

 specimens, although as a rule they are always slightly more pronounced on the female. The 

 wing-measurement of adult males varies from lo to 10-3 inches, and that of adult females from 

 1 2- 1 to I 2-6 inches. 



