FALCO. 275 



like the mantis and ^la^^'iopper. In habit it is liold in tlie extreme. One morninf; whilst at 

 breakfast I observed one of these birds liy several times past the verandah, and now and again 

 make a dash at some creepers with which it was covered. On going out I found a young 

 Swallow, just able to fly, had either fallen out, or left a nest of these birds under the verandah, 

 and had fluttered into tlie creepers, and this attracted the Falcon. I caught the young Swallow 

 with the intention of placing it in the nest, and whilst doing so held it by the legs, which caused 

 it to flutter, when withfiut any hesitation the Falcon darted into the verandah and struck the 

 Swallow in my hand, one claw penetrating my thumb and clutched the young bird. Incredible 

 as it may appear, the T'alcon commenced eating the Swallow whilst perched on my hand, although 

 my mother and two of my sisters were standing alongside of me. With my free hand I caught 

 the Falcon by the legs, and a piece of string being obtained tied it to the verandah post, where 

 after a few fruitless attempts to escape, he eventually ga\ e it up as hopeless, and assumed a 

 defiant attitude. On throwing the body of the dead Swallow to him he at once clutched and 

 devoured it, as he did with a Myzaniha flavisida I shot and threw to him. On several occasions 

 I ha\e found their nests, which are almost always placed in an inaccessible situation. .\ nest 

 I found in the month of October was placed in one of the highest trees in the neighbourhood, 

 and was a rather bulky open structure, composed of sticks compactly formed together, the inside 

 being deep and lined with decayed fine-bark fibre, and contamed four eggs, which in general 

 and ground colour much resembled those of Falco ittbuigcy." Later at Yandembah Station, in 

 the Lachlan District, Mr. Bennett records finding a nest with three eggs on the 23rd 

 September, iSSq." 



From Broken Hill, in South-western New South Wales, Dr. W. Macgillivray writes: — ■ 

 "i^d/t'c /(^(//(/iz/z/s is dispersed throughout the district. It preys upon many kinds of bird life, 

 Pigeons (OcypJuips lophotcs), ?tliners ( Myzautha flavi^ula), Parrakeets (Baniardus baniardi and 

 Rh'li'psittiiiiis nndidatus), the latter especially in the Spring, when the F'alcon is nesting, seems a 

 favourite food. These birds also get a lot of Brown Song Larks (Ciudoramphus ciiiralis), and will 

 f(.illow a flock of sheep travelling through the saltbush to take advantage of any birds forced in 

 this way to break cover. On our trip during September, 1909, we came across a nest of this 

 species on Caloola Creek, just below Stone Hut. It was placed at the very top of a tall Gum- 

 tree; the branch, however, though small, was an upright one, and not nearly so risky a climb 

 as the Grey I'alcon's. It was found to be ready for eggs. This was on the i6th September. 

 We again visited the nest on the 22nd. When Mr. W. McLennan started to climb the tree the 

 male bird appeared on the scene, and became very much concerned, darting down past 

 him, flying up above the tree, and swooping down again with half closed wings through 

 the tree, almost touching Mr. McLennan on several occasions, wheeling up into the air, turning 

 gracefully, and down again, utteruig a shrill twittering cry each time on this downward course. 

 Whilst this was going on the female flew anxiously round and round above the tree. The nest 

 was loosely constructed of sticks, the egg cavity lined with fine bark, but not so deep as the one 

 at Fowler's Gap. It only contained one egg. The male continued his attacks until Mr. 

 McLennan had come almost three parts of the way down the tree. On the i8th, as we approached 

 the crossing of Fowler's Gap Creek, a male Little Falcon flew by making an inspection of our 

 party, turned and flew up the creek, leading us to suspect a nest in the vicinity. IMr. McLennan, 

 on going a short way down the creek, found the nest on the topmost bough of the tallest tree on 

 the creek; by actual measurement it proved to be ninety feet from the ground. The climb was 

 an exceedingly risky one, the rope being used to brace the frail limb and secure the climber. 

 The two birds kept hovering uneasily round, the male making a few dives towards the climber, 

 but not so persistently nor so boldly as the male at Stone Hut. The same shrill twittering cry 

 was uttered by the male bird. The nest was loosely constructed of sticks lined with fine soft 

 bark, the outside diameter being eighteen inches by a depth of one foot, the egg cavity six inches 

 in diameter by five inches in depth. It contained three fresh eggs. 



