Vol. X 

 1911 



1 Hill, Field Notes on Birds of Kimherley, N.-W. Aust. 267 



MiLVUS AFFiNis (Kite). 



Grass fires, and the consequent harvest of lizards, small mammals, 

 and insects, attracted many Hawks in April, May, and June, amongst 

 which Kites were prominent. Great daring is shown by these fine 

 birds in the pursuit of their prey, and it is not an unusual thing to 

 find their wing and tail feathers much damaged by fire. In August 

 and September I saw many Kites in the town of Derby, where they 

 were doing good work as scavengers. 



Measui-ements of bird in mm. : — 



Tolal length. Wing. Tarsus. Tail. 



? •• 513 •• 394 ••49 •• 233 

 LoPHOiCTiNiA isuRA (Square- tailed Kite). 



A single specimen only was secured at Parry Harbour. 

 Falco lunulatus (Little Falcon). 



These birds were very uncommon, excepting in March and April. 

 The crops of two birds examined contained portions of two small 

 birds and many locusts. 



Measurements of bird in mm. : — 



Total length. Wing. Tarsus. Bill. Tail. 



? .. 317 ..248 .. 32 .. 14 ..131 



HiERAciDEA ORiENTALis (Western Brown Hawk). 



A few birds remained in the district throughout the year, but one 

 nest only was found, from which broods were reared in October and 

 November. During March, April, and May, when grass fires were 

 burning in all directions, these Hawks became nvimerous. The crops 

 of those examined contained lizards and large insects (Mantidce and 

 Phasmidce) only. 



Measurements of birds in mm. : — 



Total length. Wing. Tarsus. Bill. Tail. 



c^ . . 444 . . 330 ..67 . . 24 . . 195 

 cJ .. 430 •• 335 ••70 .. — ..130 

 Cerchneis cenchroides (Kestrel). 



A few pairs were seen on and after 29th March, evidently having 

 followed a flight of locusts which arrived a few days earlier. 

 Measurements of birds in mm. : — 



Total length. Wing. Tarsus. Tail. 



S •• 296 .. 233 .. 35 .. 137 

 $ .. 344 .. 250 .. 40 .. 156 

 Pandion leucocephalus (Osprey). 



These birds were seen at frequent intervals on the coast. On 

 9/4/10 I examined a nest, built on a precipitous basaltic rock in Parry 

 Harbour, upon which both birds were sitting, but only to find it 

 empty. Figures of birds, eggs, and a kangaroo, recently scratched 

 by aborigines on an adjacent rock, told their own tale. The birds re- 

 mained near the nest, so I returned on 17th and took from it one 

 perfect egg and pieces of another clearly showing claw-holes. I 

 visited this locality again on loth July, and found that a brood had 

 been reared from the same nest since my last visit, and that an old nest 

 about a quarter of a mile distant was being rebuilt. The nest from 

 which eggs were taken was built of seaweed, drift-wood, and grass, 

 and measured as follows : — Outside — length, 4 feet 6 inches ; breadth, 

 3 feet 9 inches ; depth, 4^ inches. Inside — length, 2 feet 6 inches ; 

 breadth, i foot 9 inches ; depth, 3 inches. 



