276 KALCONIN.K. 



" Durin- my trip in September, n^ii.two pairs of i.ittle Falcons (Fdlco liiiiiilutiis i ca.ms 

 under my notice; one pair had a nest near that of Gypoictiuid inclaiiosteiiwn, on Sieepswell Creek. 

 This nest, found on the 25th September, was high up in a creek Gum, the female was on the 

 nest and the male sitting on a branch immediately under it ; the female had not, however, laid. The 

 second pair I found nesting on the following day, high up in a ("lum on the exposed side of 

 Yalcowinna Creek. The female was sitting on three fresh eggs, and the male was in another 

 part of the same tree ; this bird was not as aggressive as the one we came across on Caloola 

 Creek in 1909." 



Mr. G. A. Keanland writes me as follows from Melbourne, N'ictoria: — " The White-fronted 

 Falcon (Faho liinnlatiis.) is found everywhere, either on the coast or far inland. I shot a pair at 

 Bright(5n whilst they were endeavouring to capture some Pigeons. This Falcon possesses 

 extremely keen sight, and singles out its prey at a great distance. It then flies fast and low 

 until within striking distance, when it seldom fails to secure Us victim. In Central Australia I 

 saw one dash into a tlock of Finches drinking at a rock poul, and before the little birds could 

 scatter sufficiently to escape, it seized one in each foot, and then flew away with them. .\t 

 Brookman Creek, Western Australia, a flock of Cockatoo-Parrakeets were drinking on the 

 water's edge, when a White-fronted Falcon suddenly daslied into their midst. The Cockatoo- 

 Parrakeets scattered in all directions, but the Falcon pursued and caught one which flew towards 

 me, and was making off with it when I hred, knocking some feathers out of the Falcon. It 

 dropped the Cockatoo- Parrakeet to the ground, but in a few seconds it swooped dow'n on its 

 victim, and was carrying it away, when another sliot caused it to again drop the bird, which 

 was quite dead when picked up. The White-fronted Falcon is more courageous and stronger 

 on the wing in proportion to its size than any other representati\e of the Falconinaj. It always 

 chooses living prey, and will seize and carry olT birds exceeding itself in weight, and can over- 

 take and capture the fastest flying Parrakeets. During the breeding season they frequently 

 make raids on domestic Pigeons kept in the centre of our city, and carry off the strongest 

 homing Antwerps." 



The eggs are usually three in number for a sitting, varying from o\al to elonL;ate-oval in 

 form, the shell being comparatively close-grained, dull and lustreless, one egg only in nine 

 specimens before me having a slight gloss. They are variable in colour, as is common with the 

 AcciPiTKES, even in the same set. Of a set of three taken by the late Mr. K. II. Bennett at 

 Yandembah Station, in the Lachlan District, New South Wales, on the 23rd September, i88g, 

 one specimen has the ground colour pale pinkish-red, which is thickly freckled and spotted, 

 and sparingly blotched with darker shades of the ground colour, the blotches being chiefly 

 confined to the smaller end ; the other two specimens are of a bufty-white ground colour, freckled, 

 spotted and blotched with rufous-brown, the ground colour of one specimen being slightly lighter 

 and the markings distinctly larger. The latter egg is figured on Plate B. XV'I., fig. 8, and they 

 measure as follows: — Length (A) 175 x 1-34 inches; (B) 179 x 1-34 inches; (C) 176 x 

 1-3 inches. A set of three taken by Mr. H. G. Barnard, at Coomooboolaroo, Uuaringa, 

 Queensland, on the Sth October, 1S92, are of a yellowish-buff ground colour, which is thickly 

 mottled, spotted and blotched with darker shades of the ground colour, some of the blotches 

 also having a faint reddish hue ; on one specimen the blotches are confined chiefly to the smaller 

 end, on the others to the larger, forming a cap of confluent markings on one of them ; the latter 

 egg is figured on Plate B. XVI., fig. 7, and they measure as follows; — Length (A) 172 x 1-3 

 inches; (B) 1-82 x 1-3 inches ; (C) 1-89 x 1-27 inches. Another set of three in Mr. Malcolm 

 Harrison's collection, taken by Mr. H. G. Barnard at Binibi, Duaringa, Queensland, on the 2nd 

 October, 1908, measures; — Length (A) 173 x 1-33 inches; (6)174 >< i'33 inches; (C) 175 

 X 1-32 inches. From Mr. Barnard I also received two sets of three taken by him respectively 

 at Coomooboolaroo, Duaringa, on the i8th September and the 2^nd October, 1893. 



