HALIASTUR. 223 



Abrolhos, Western Australia, Mr. C. G. Gibson found these nests containing young birds in 

 November, and in the same month I saw a nest on Phillip Island, Western Port Bay, \'ictoria, 

 also containing young. .\t the head of Spencer's Gulf, in South Australia, Dr. A. Chenery took 

 eggs in August, as did also Mr. W. W'hite, on Kangaroo Island: and on Walker's Island, off 

 the north-west coast of Tasmania, Mr. K. L>. Atkinson took eggs in October. From the time 

 the birds start to re-line their nest, deposit the eggs, hatch the young birds, and the latter leave 

 the nest, a period of four months elapses. 



Haliastur girrenera. 



KUFOUS-BACKED .SEA-EAGLE. 



//a,/t(f/((.< jrirj-«ji«)-«, Vieill. and Oudal, Gal. Ois., Tom. I., pi. X (I82.5) ; Sliarpe, Cat. Bds. Brit. 

 Mus., Vol. I., p. 315 (1874): ul, Hand-I. Bds., Vol. I., p. 268 (isi)9). 



Halimliir lencostrnins, Goulil, Bds. .\ustr., fol. Vol. I., pi. IV. (1848) : id., Haiulbk. Bds. Austr., 

 Vol. !., p. 17 (186.5). 



Adult m.\lk. — TIip puthv lu-iul, neck, chrsf and hn'a^l jiu.ri' ivIiiU' : the remainder of the plumage 

 riifoHfi'chestniU ; l/ir fi/i.t of nil lint tin- ontermost tail -fen the r:i on either side wliiliah; the apical 

 portion of the fire outemnist /irimariin black ; bill light horn e,,lon.r, lead colour at t/te base ; legs and 

 feet lii/lit yelUnr. Total lengtli IS inche.'<, tviny 15, tail 7''S, hill 1 ..', t'lfunn ;.' i.J. 



Adult FKM.\lk. — Similar in. pi nmnije to tin- ninje Winn 15 -i inches. 



Distribution. — North-western .\ustralia. Northern Territory of South .\ustralia, Queensland, 

 New South Wales. 



S both species of Sea-Eai;le inhabiting .\ustralia are white-headed and white-breasted, I 

 have discarded the latter vernacular name applied by Gould to the present species in 

 favour of the more distinguishing and appropriate name of Kufous-backed Sea-Eagle. It is 

 somewhat remarkable that its very close ally, Haliastur iiidiis, of India, is vernacularly known 

 as the Brahminy Kite, while Dr. E. P. Ramsay, in his " Catalogue of Australian Accipitres,' ■■■ 

 refers to Haliastur i^irniui'a as the Red-backed Fish-Eagle, under which are the following 

 remarks : — " In some specimens the primary coverts above, nearest the margin of the shoulders, 

 have a black shaft-stripe and remains of black cross-bars, the latter also are noticeable on the 

 inner webs of some of the inner primaries and inner secondaries, and on the tail-feathers. The 

 plumes covering the flanks, and the feathers at the upper joint of the thighs also, are occasionally 

 white, as well as the small feathers at the base of the scapulars ; the smaller scapulars have 

 occasionally black shaft-lines, and also transverse bars of black on their concealed portions ; 

 basal portions white. These facts will assist in bearing out Mr. Sharpe's opinion, with which 

 I entirely coincide, that the Australian bird (Flaliastur <rimni'va) cannot be admitted to hold full 

 specific rank, but with Haliastur intcrmedius (Gurney) must be considered a fixed variety of the 

 Indian Fish-Mawk' {Haliastur iudus )." 



Haliastur i^irrciKra has a wide ultra-Australian range, and is also found in favourable 

 situations on the north-western, northern and eastern coast of Australia. Mr. Tom Carter 

 informs me it was common in the summer months at Point Cloates, North-western Australia, 

 both on the coast and for a distance of twenty-five miles inland, and he had picked up 

 several of these birds dead that had taken poisoned baits laid for wild dogs. The late Mr. T. 

 H. Bowyer-Bower, and Mr. E. J. Cairn, obtained specimens m the mangroves near Derby, and 



* Aus. Mus. Cat, Accip., p. 35 (1S76). 



