236 Al;UIMN;H. 



X 1-75 inches; {l'>) 2-11 x 1-74 inches. A set of three taken by Mr. i". 1'. Austin at Coliborah 

 Station, Cobbora, New South Wales, on the 14th September, ic^cS. measures: — Len,L;th (A) 

 2'2 X I'fig inches; (B) 2-28 x 1-65 inches; (0)2-25 x 1-72 inches, .\mong a Hne series the 

 extremes of variation are exhibited in measurement by two sets in Mr. .\ustin's collection. One 

 taken by him on the 20th July, 1909, ineasures : — (A) 2'28 x 1-67 inches; (I!) 2-22 x 1-7 inches. 

 From the same nest a set of three Brown Hawk's eg,t;s were taken on the 21st .Xu'^ust, 1909, 

 and another set of Whistling Eagle's on the 27th September following. A set of two of the 

 latter species taken by Mr. Austin in the same locality on the 'ith .August, 1909, measure alike 

 1-96 X 1-38 inches. Three sets I saw him take on the iith, 15th and iSth October, 1910, 

 measure respectively: — Length [1] (A) 2-08 x 1-57 inches; (11) 2 x 1-53 inches. 2] (A) 2'2 



X i'75 inches ; (8)2-13 '■■' 1-65 inches. ^3, (A) 2-13 x i-()7 inches; (l!)2-i7 x 1-7 inches. 



Nestlings about a fortnight old are covered with short white down, that on the head being 

 long and hair-like : bill and cere dark horn colour ; legs and feet bluish-white: iris light reddish- 

 brown. When nearly fledged they resemble the adults, but are dark brown on the head and 

 hind-neck, each feather being mesially streaked with tawny fulvous, remainder of the feathers 

 on the upper parts largely tipped with fuhous- white, and without the black shaft streaks; on 

 the under parts the feathers are darker and conspicuously streaked with tawny-fulvous; wing 

 12 inches. Fully fledged birds have the streaks on the head and upper and under parts much 

 narrower and lighter, as are also the tips of the upper wing-coverts and feathers of the back and 

 rump. Wing of young female 14-2 inches. 



In Northern New South Wales Mr. G. Savidge informs me that this species breeds at any 

 time of the year. The usual breeding season in Central New S^uth Wales begins in May, and 

 continues until the end of December. In Southern New South Wales it is from August until 

 the end of January, in both districts odd nests, however, may be found during the intervening 

 months. In North-western Australia Mr. Tom Carter found most nests with eggs m fuly. In 

 (Queensland Mr. H. G. Barnard has found it breeding throughout the greater part of the year. 

 The duration of the breeding season, however, depends much on whether the birds are molested 

 or not. Mr. Barnard informs me that at Coomooboolaron. Duaringa, Queensland, a pair of 

 these birds have built in the same tree for some years, and it contains no less than live different 

 nests ; several times he has taken two sets of eggs in one season from this pair of birds, when 

 they would lay a third and rear their young. 



As will be seen by Mr. Thos. P. Austin's notes, during different seasons he has taken eggs 

 in Central New South Wales in every month of the year. 



C=ren.i:LS I^IXjT7""CrS, Cwirr. 



Milvus afTinis. 



FORK-T.VILED KU'E. 



MiJnis affiiiis, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soo., 1837, p. UO ; id., Bds. Austr., fol. Vol. I., pi. 21 (1S4S) ; 

 id., Handbk. Bd.s. Austr., Vol. I., p. 49 (186.5); Sharpe, Cat. Bds. Brit. Mus., Vol. 1,, p. 

 323 (1874); id., Hand-1. Bds., Vol. I., p. 268 (1848). 



Adult m.\lk. — (renerrd cnloiir nbore hro/rn, rrn/vii oflheliead, iiapf, hind-iieck, lexrtpr and median 

 ii,j>per iving coverts pale rti/uus-broivn with blackisli .s/taft .■<li't aks : primary corerl.s and most of the (piills 

 bl.ackish-broivn, the inner primaries and seapiidars broicu tvit/i. narroiv wliity-brown maryins at the 

 tips and blackish, shafts ; tail-feathers asJty-broion slir/hlly tvashed 9vit/i rnfous, and liaviny broirins/i- 

 white tips, smaller on the outermost feather on eit/ier sid<\ irh.tch is ilarker on. the outer web, and fdl 

 hai'i'iiy the remains of darker brown, cross-bnr.'': lores, ehiii and snioJl feathers bel on) the eye dingy- 



