286 FALCONIN.K. 



{■Itrome-yUiiu; rfaivs hhick : iri^ //";-/. y'lital huylli in llf jh^^h 13 -'i indies, irimj !)■!, fail >!, 

 hill II :, htrsii.^ l-.i-'i. 



Adult fkmalk. — 'Similar iu. jdiiuuuji l<i tlie mnlf, Iml iKiciini 'lie head pah ruJoii.<, ii itli hhu-k 

 aliafl slreak< : t/ie secoii'laries ami qreater iriity-cor/'rln c.rn.i^i'il irilh broad hlai-kish-hroicti hands; 

 tail-feallier.i of a lighfer r>ifi}us thati. th" hark, traiiscrrselij barred trilh black, and liaritKj a broad 

 subterminal hlark hand Total leui/th in. the jh'sli lo'-') inclie.-:. W'liiij lO-.'j inchey. 



Distnlmtion. — North-western Australia, Northern Territory of South Austraha, (Queensland, 

 New South Wales, N'ictoria, South Australia, Central Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania. 



/"I^I IE type of the present species was described by IMessrs. Vigors and Horsheld in the 

 -L " Transactions of the Linnean Society of London,"" in 1826, from specimens obtained 

 near Sydney in the early days of the settlement of New Suutli Wales, and quoting the following 

 remarks of the collector, Mr. Caley, who resided at Parramatta : — " This bird is called ' Nankeen 

 Hawk' iiy the settlers. It is a migratory species. My specimens were shot in May and June, 

 1803. At that time the species was plentiful, but ever afterwards I observed it but sparingly. . . 

 I never observed it attacking the fowls." 



It is generally distributed in favourable situations over the greater portion of Australia, and 

 is likewise found in Tasmania, and has been recorded in nearly every collection of any size 

 formed in different parts of the continent. There is little or no \ariation in specimens obtained 

 in widely separated localities, except that due to age. Some adult birds of both sexes have the 

 under surface almost pure white, with dark brown shafts to the feathers, except on the centre 

 of the lower breast, abdomen and under tail-coverts, and are destitute of the usual pale rufous 

 wash to the upper breast and flanks. Some adult males, probably very old birds, have the 

 feathers on the crown of the head and nape entirely grey, but having the same black shaft lines ; 

 others have the outer webs of the greater wing-coverts spotted with pale rufous, and which 

 extends to both webs of the primary coverts of some specimens. The wing-measurement of 

 adult males varies from q-^ to 9'5 inches, and that of adult females from gS to io'5 inches. 



As in Caley's time it still haunts the neighbourhood of Sydney, but it is not plentiful, and 

 may be more freiiuently observed on the heath lands about Randwick, La Perouse and Long 

 Bay, principally during the summer and autumn months, than elsewhere. During the same 

 periods of the year I have also frequently noted it close to Melbourne, hovering a few feet above 

 the grass and weed-covered land of what was originally the North Melbourne Swamp. In the 

 comparatively neighbouring districts of Maribyrnong and Keilor Plains, at midday on the 

 hottest days in summer, the Nankeen Kestrel was frequently the only moving object to be seen 

 in the landscape, the apparent waves of heat just above these grass lands causing every li\ing 

 thing beside to seek refuge from the sun's glare. In similar country it was unusually plentiful 

 while crossing the Breeza Plains, in New South Wales, se\ eral times during No\ember, and 

 was also common on the Namoi and Gwydir Rivers. It also frequents open forest-lands, and 

 heavily-timbered mountain ranges. Take a fairly long distance journey by road or rail in New 

 South Wales, during the spring or summer months, anywhere across plains, one is almost 

 certain to meet with it, usually being attracted to it by its light colour and graceful actions while 

 hovering in search of prey. It may be also met with in deep gorges and precipitous clifls of 

 our mountain ranges. The accompanying figure is reproduced from a photograph taken by me 

 of a well known haunt of these birds near Leura, on the lilue Mountains, New South Wales. 



The crops and stomachs of many specimens examined, show that insects of various kinds 

 and small reptiles constitute its chief food. The late Mr. Henry Newcombe, of Randwick, near 

 Sydney, a constant contributor of specimens from that locality for over a quarter of a century, 

 and especially of the Accipitres, Turnicid.*; and Rai.lid.e, obtained an adult male and female 



• 'Jrans. Linn. Soc, Vol. XV., p. 1S3 (1S26.) 



