OF VICTORIA. 187 



Nest. — The debris in a hollow spout or on a cliff. 



^V/^.s'. — Four to a clutch ; colour rcddish-hrown, the 

 blotches and spots being heavier than the ground colour 

 and varying in intensity. Length, 1-5 inches; breadth, 

 1-2 inches. 



BROWN HAWK, 

 llieracidea orieiitalis, Sclilegel. 



I/i-e-ra-sid'e-a d-r'i-en-t<i lis. 

 Hicrax, a hawk ; idta, resemblance ; or'inU, east ; ulU, pertaining to. 



Ieracidea I'.KKHiORA, Gould, " liiids of Australia," fob, vol. i,, 



pi. 11. 



Geogkapiiical Distribution. — All through Austialia ajid Tasmania. 



Key to the Sitciks. — (general appearance brown ; under surface 

 of body creauiy-lniff" to blackish-brown ; cere blue grey ; tarsus 

 transversely plated near base of toes. 



The Eastern Ijiown Hawk is found in all the colonies, and 

 a second and closely allied one is found in the western 

 portions of Victoria and New South Wales. From these 

 areas it goes across the continent. In the Mallee Ihe 

 association of the two species is confusing. 



The Striped Brown Hawk is striped on the under surface. 

 With age it becomes creamy-white ; then, and not till then, 

 it shows a distinct difrercnce in the two. The young, when 

 placed together without labels, are so much alike, and vary 

 so greatly, that the difficulty of distinguishing the one-year- 

 old bird is a trouble not easily surmounted. Although 

 Brown Hawks occasionally worry small birds, domesticated 

 and at large, the greater portion of their diet is compo.sed of 

 insects, snakes, lizards, and carrion. When the grass- 

 hopper season arrives, an examination then, as at other 



