NIS.ETUS. 211 



the under surface, amoiif,' the short white down are some scattered bright rufous feathers on the 

 foreneck, flanks, abdomen and thighs. Wing 6-2 inches. When very much older nestUngs 

 still retain the white down on parts of the body, and even at the ends of the tips of the secondaries 

 and tail-feathers, the head, nape and hind-neck have rufous-brown feathers intermingled with 

 the down, the general colour of the upper parts being dark brown, with pale rufous-fawn tips to 

 the upper wing and under tail-coverts, the longer feathers of the latter pale rufous-buff; tail- 

 feathers dark brown, their inner webs pale brown crossed with a dark brown bar; throat, 

 foreneck and centre of upper breast covered with short dull white down, with scattered rufous- 

 fawn feathers on the upper part of the foreneck ; remainder of the under surface blackish-brown 

 with small buffy-white tips to the feathers, under tail-coverts light fawn colour. Total length 

 25 inches, wing ly^, tail q. 



In Eastern Australia the breeding season is usually early, the birds commencing to build 

 in April and May, nests being found with eggs in June, but more often in July and August, 

 although young birds may be found in the latter month. The young birds remain in the nest a 

 long time before leaving it, and there are specimens in the Australian Museum Collection taken 

 from the nest on the 24th December. In Southern Australia the season is generally a month 

 or two later. The birds evidently pair for life. Mr. John Hamilton informs me that a pair, 

 presumably the same birds, have nested for a period of thirty-three consecutive years in two trees 

 on his estate, near Mooroopna, Victoria ; one of the trees has since been burnt down. An instance 

 of early breeding is recorded in a note from Dr. A. Chenery, South Australia, he finding a nest 

 with an egg on the nth June. Still earlier is Mr. Tom Carter's note from Point Cloates, 

 North-western .\ustralia, recording the taking of an egg on the 22nd May and two on the 2nd 

 June, and finding half grown young on the 25th July. 



Nisaetus morphnoides. 



LITTLE EAGLE. 



AiinUa inorphiudih-s, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1840, p. IG I ; id., I'.rls. Austr., fol. V^ol. I., pi i 



(I81S). 



Nienffii'i iwirp/iHui.des, GouU\, Handbk. Hds. Austr., Vol. I., p. 11 (18(:i.T). 



A^imr/uf: morphniiiitfi^, Sharpe, Oat. Bds. l!rit. .Mus., Vol. I., p. '2')i (1874). 



EiUolmartns luorphaoid'-!), Sharpe, Haiid-l. Bds., Vol. I., p. 262 (1899). 



Adult m.\lr. — GewrciJ i-ohmr above bru/vii, head and hiiid ^leck jiafe fa/viii/riifoHS sf reaked ivitli 

 black, more broridly on thr fi)>-e.head, ermva of the head and neipe, thf apical portion of the feathers 

 of the latter entirejij black : wings blackishdjrown, the median series of n..pper wing-coverts slightly 

 lighter, and having broad whity-brown margins, as hare also the ends of the secondaries, the scapulars 

 slightly washed with tishy : upper fail-coverts broivn, the lateral ones pale brownish-white ; tail-feathers 

 a-ihy-brown, whitish at the tips, and crossed with more or less distinct blackish-brow re bars, the snh- 

 terminal one being the broadest ; ear-coverts blackish-brotvn with riifous-fawu margins; all the under 

 surface pale rufous-broivn, each feather mesially streaked with black on the upper breast, and having 

 narroH' blackish shaff luu's,- tjie rrnt, /highs and under tail-coverts nnifurni pah' rufous-fawn colour: 

 "bill bluish at the base, black at the tip: cere bluish; feet whitish, claws black ; iris orange colour" 

 (Bennett). Total length in the flesh IS 5 inches, wing 13-3, tail S, bill 1-2, tarsus 2-2. 



AuuLT FEM.\LE.^Z/(i/v/«c and paler than /he male, and the black mesial streaks to the feathers of 

 the head and upper breast narrower. Total length 22-5 inches, wing lo'o, tail 9-25. 



