THE EAGLE-HAWK. 119 



is little V, mder that the study of the habits and natural 

 instincts of birds should be a favourite one with all ; and 

 to that man whose time is happily and quietly spent in 

 the forests and the fields, it gives one of the truest zests 

 to rural life. 



Victoria is very rich both in species and individuals 

 of the lawk ; and this is not to be wondered at, when 

 we consider the wild nature of the country, abounding 

 as it does '. every kind of food peculiar to the birds of 

 prey. 



The king rf birds here is certainly the Eagle-hawk, or 

 Wedge-tailed lagle, which, although inferior in size and 

 attributes to th> golden eagle of Europe, is nevertheless 

 a fine powerful tird, and the largest bird of prey in the 

 colony. The cage-hawk varies much in size and colour. 

 Whether this is oving to a difference in age or sex I am 

 iinable to say, but r . fancied we had two distinct species ; 

 the one very dark bown, nearly black at a distance, the 

 other much lighter i plumage (I have seen one as light 

 as the European kite ; and the two birds, in difference 

 of colour, resembled he golden and white-tailed eagles 

 of Europe, but the e^ s of both were dark. The dark 

 variety of our eagle-htyk was the rarest with us, and 

 was a thicker and shortr bird than the other : the tail 

 of this bird is long, and i the form of a wedge, which is 

 very apparent when it is'n the air. They were by no 

 means uncommon in our Ustrict at all seasons, often in 

 pairs, both in the deep f*ests and on the plains, over 

 which they would soar aliost out of sight, round and 



