1^2 ]S\aca.ii-LI\ \<A\ , Notes on Some N. Queensland Birds, \^^"y^„ 



Falco subniger. Black Falcon. — Noted frequently in the Gulf 

 countrv. 14th ^Nlarch, 1910. — " Saw ii pair of Black Falcons 

 examining old nests in the coolibah trees on a channel of the Gilliat, 

 probably intending to use one of them. The birds were in splendid 

 plumage, but too wary to admit of a close inspection." Several other 

 pairs were seen on the Leichhardt and Gregory Rivers, but the 

 spring is proliably their nesting lime. 



Falco lunulatus. Little l-'alcon. — Writing from Sedan, Mr. M'Leunan 

 sent the following notes : — 24th February, igio. — " Saw a Little Falcon 

 trying to catch dragon-flies at the swamp. Sometimes it caught 

 them, but more frequently missed.'' 



;?ist March, 1910. — " When returning from the Big Dalgonally 

 Lake to Byromine a I>ittle Falcon accomjmnied me for some distance, 

 catching the grasshopi')crs as they rose from under my horse's feel. 

 It was very quiet, and would let me approach to within a lew feet 

 of it when perched on a tree." 



4th April. 1910. — " A pair of Little I<"alcons at the Big Dalgonally 

 Liike have taken possession of an old Whistling-Eagle's nest at the 

 edge of the lake, and will pi-obably breed there later on." 



Also noted at Cape York. 



Hieracidea berigora. Brown Hawk. — Seen on many occasions in 

 the Gulf country and at Cape York, where the following note was 

 made: — "iith August. 1911. — When burning off all the pockets 

 the fires attracted a number of Brown Hawks and Australian 

 Goshawks." 



Hieracidea occidentalis. Slrijjcd Brown Hawk. — Noted at Corella 

 CrecK' and on the Leichhardt. 



loth July, 1910. — " On the Leichhardt l^iver. 1 miles from 

 Augustus Downs, shot a light brown Hawk. Saw a pair of these 

 birds in a tree with a nest in it iust ready for eggs." 



7th July, 1910. — " On Leichhardt River saw a Black Falcon ily 

 into a tree with a nest in it. Watched it for some time, but it did 

 not go to the nest, so left it till later." 



" Went down creek to where I had seen the Black Falcon. Flushed 

 a bird from the nest, and climbed to it ; it contained two eggs. I did 

 not take them A pair of Black Falcons was flving round the tree 

 while I was at the nest." 



nth Jiily, 1010. — "Went down to creek where I had seen the 

 Black Falcons about a nest. Flushed a light brown Hawk from the 

 nest, which still contained two eggs." 



Cerchneis cenchroides. Nankeen Kestrel. — A common species 

 throughout the Gulf, and occasional at Cape York. 



Pandion leucocephalus. White-headed Osprey (Fish-Hawk). — 

 A nest found on the Hannibal Islands on the ist July, 191 1, con- 

 tained three eggs. The bird was flushed from the nest, which was 

 40 feet from the ground in a horizontal fork of a large leafless tree. 

 The nest, which was composed of sticks, seaweed, and pieces of 

 pumice, measured 3 feet across b}' 2 feet deep, with an egg chamber 

 T foot across by 6 inches deep. 



On the Macarthur Islands another nest was found on the same 

 date, containing a fully fledged young bird. This nest was on a small 

 mangrove, 6 feet from the ground ; it was 4 feet in diameter and 3 feet 

 deep, composed of sticks, coral, pumice, and seaweed. Another nest, 

 on the Bird Islands, found on the 2nd July, was built on a small 



