242 AvuiMN.t; 



nest was found a few days later, and contained three youni; birds ; the nests were all built in 

 narrow-leafed Ironbark ( Eiualyptus), and were about fifty feet from the ground. These Kites 

 are one of the least shy of the Accipitres, often remaining on the nest till the climber is almost 

 within reach of the nest. The nests are outwardly constructed of sticks and lined with Eucalyptus 

 leaves. One nest built in a Eucalyptus, lifty-six feet from the ground, measured externally two 

 feet ten inches in diameter by one foot in depth, and the egg cavity fourteen inches in diameter 

 by three inches in depth. Another deep nest built sixty teet from the ground measured 

 externally two feet eight inches in diameter by two feet in depth, the egg cavity measuring ten 

 inches in diameter by three inches in depth. I went to a good deal of trouble in measuring 

 these nests, which in some cases is a \ ery awkward proceeding when perched on a high 

 bough with note-book and measure. Ijy the egg cavity is meant the part of the nest lined with 

 leaves (these lea\ es are picked off separately, and not attached to twigs) ; in the case of the 

 Square-tailed Kite and l^ittle Eagle the lining is from two to three inches thick, making a soft 

 bed for the eggs and young. .\s shewing the partiality of the Accipitres for old nests, one in 

 which three young Square-tailed Kites were reared last year is this year occupied by a Little 

 Eagle, and a nest occupied last year by a Brown Hawk is now occupied liy a Square-tailed Kite. 

 Again in June ujo; a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles rebuilt an old nest, and when ready for the 

 eggs for some reason deserted it : the nest is now occupied by a pair of Bnown Hawks. 



" Birds of prey are very fond ut company, as the following will illustrate. Where tlie first 

 nest of Lflpho'utiiiia isura was found there were nests alsc of ilicracidea orientalis with three young, 

 Nisatiis iiioi'phnoidcs with one young, Astiw approxiiuaiis building, from which I afterwards took a 

 set of four eggs, Aciipitcy liryhocephalus building on same date as I took set of Astiw appi'oxiinaiis 

 eggs; I took a set of four from this nest. At the second nesting site of Lophoictinia isura were 

 nests oi H'ui'acidca oricntalis with young, and nests of Astiir approMinaus building and Accipitcv 

 livi'luKcphaliis with three eggs. The third colony contained the same species. (Jnly one pair of each 

 species was in each colony. .\n Ironfiark (Eucalyptus) ridge seemed the favourite locality. The 

 birds resort to the same place year after year to breed if not disturbed. 



"The food of the Si]uare-tailed Kite consists of young birds, which are evidently in many 

 instances taken from the nest, as a nest of Ptilotis fusca with a dead fledgling clinging to it was 

 found in one of their nests. They also eat insects, as a large Mantis was dead in one nest, and 

 was evidently left there for the female." 



Mr. E. H. Lane, of (Jrange, sends me the following notes: — " In the early eighties I took 

 several clutches of Square-tailed Kite eggs on Wambangalang Station, New South Wales, 

 three always being the number. The only set I have left was taken in October, 1883, and when 

 1 climbed to this nest there were but two eggs in it, which I took, as the tree was a very diflicult 

 one to surmount. The following day the Kite was again sitting, so expecting to get another 

 egg I managed with the aid of some of my shearers to get a rope over the horizontal limb, on 

 which the nest was, and we hauled up my eldest son, then thirteen years old, and I was rewarded 

 by the addition of another most beautiful egg. In another instance, after robbing three eggs 

 from a nest, the Kite was on the nest the following day, but upon again climbing to it there was 

 no egg. I mention this to shew that this bird does not easily desert its nest. livery nest that 

 I ever found of the Square-tailed Kite was within from two yards to one hundred yards of a 

 creek or water course. I ha\e not taken any eggs for twenty odd years past, what nests I have 

 seen being ungetatable without proper appliances." 



The eggs, which are remarkably handsome and boldly marked, are usually three, sometimes 

 only two in number for a sitting, varying from rounded oval to oval in form, some specimens 

 being rather pointed at the smaller end ; they are coarse-grained, and the shell generally dull 

 and lustreless. In six sets now before me only one set is slightly glossy. They vary in ground 

 colour from pure white to a warm bulfy-white, and which is usually spotted and boldly blotched 



