TASMANIA 167 



the Moluccas. It loves bold rocky country and 

 will return each year to its old nesting haunt; some 

 seasons repairing the old nest. 



The Little Falcon is the smallest of our hawks. 



Tasmania and Australia have a land eagle and a 

 sea eagle, b, the former being the largest flying 

 bird in the Commonwealth, and the sea eagle is 

 the second. 



The Osprey, a fish eating hawk, is to be found 

 in Bass Strait. 



Other hawks include the Kestrel, ground-feeding 

 Harriers, Brown Hawk, Sparrow Hawk and the 

 pure white Gos Hawk. 



The Kites have not yet appeared as far south as 

 Tasmania and as a hunting ground for the Buzzard 

 it is not warm enough. 



The Harriers are the long-legged ground or 

 swamp Hawks, living upon most things meaty, not 

 too large to catch, and small enough to swallow. 

 Cancerous mice are greedily swallowed. The com- 

 mon harrier lays white eggs in a swamp nest and 

 will resort to it year after year, if not disturbed. 



THE FINCH FAMILY 



The only finch found in Tasmania is a good 

 example of feeble or unit representation. It is 

 classed among the weavers, known as a sub family 

 of most lovely birds. Their colours compete with 



