40 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Genus ASTUR, Lacepede. 

 Sp. 16. ASTUR RADIATUS. 



Radiated Goshawk. 



Falco radiatus, Lath. Ind. Orn. Supp., p. xii. 

 Haliaetus Caleii, Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p, 186. 

 Sparvius radiatus, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., torn. x. p. 340. 

 Accipiter radiatus, Gould, Ann. Nat. Hist., vol. xi. p. 335. 

 Astur iestaceus, Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 367. 



Astur radiatus, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. i. pi. 16. 



This bird, which at the period of my visit to Australia was 

 only contained in the Linnean Society's collection, is still very 

 rare in the museums of Europe. It inhabits the dense brushes 

 bordering the rivers Manning and Clarence on the eastern 

 coast of New South Wales, and that it enjoys a much greater 

 range is more than probable. It is the largest of the Goshawks 

 inhabiting Australia, the female nearly equalling in size that 

 sex of the Jsf/ir palumharius of Europe. In some parts of 

 its structure the Radiated Goshawk differs considerably from 

 the typical Asturs, particularly in the lengthened form of the 

 middle toe, in Avhich respect it resembles the true Accipiters ; 

 in its plumage it somewhat differs from both those forms, the 

 markings of the feathers taking a longitudinal instead of a 

 transverse direction. These and other slight differences may 

 hereafter be considered of sufficient importance to warrant its 

 separation into a distinct genus ; but for the present I have 

 retained it in that of Astur. Of its habits and economy 

 nothing whatever is known. 



The male, which is considerably smaller than the female, 

 has the whole of the upper surface blackish brown, each 

 feather broadly margined with rust-red ; wings brown, crossed 

 by narrow bands of darker brown ; tail greyish brown, crossed 

 by irregular bands of dark brown ; shafts of the quills and 



