ASTUR NOViE HOLLANDIaE. 



(Nea- Holland Goshaick.) 



All tlie upper surface, grey ; throat and all the under surface, white, irregularly barred with light grey ; cere, dull orange ; feet, yellow ; bill 

 and claws, black ; irides, yellow or dark brown. 



Length of male, 15 inches ; wing, 9i ; tail, 7| ; hill, | ; tarsus, 2i. 



Length of female, 19 inches ; wing, 12 ; tail, 10 ; bill, li ; tarsus, 2^. 



This elegant species is found in New South Wales and Queensland. It may at times be observed in the open forest country, 

 but its favorite resort is the dense scrubs. Considerable controversy has been awakened as to whether the white Astur (A. N. H. Albino) is 

 or is not a variety of the present species. The measurements of the two are precisely similar ; but the fact that in Tasmania the white one 

 only is to be found would seem to give great weight to the supposition that the latter is certainly a permanent variety, if not a species. I 

 must add, however, that on one occasion I saw a white and a grey bird of this genus (evidently a pair) flying together in company, the 

 smallest, or the male, being the white one. The food of this Astur consists of birds and small mammalia. It occasionally attacks the poultry 

 yard, and carries off young fowls. It makes its nest, composed only of sticks, in trees, forty or fifty feet from the ground. The eggs are two 

 in number ; skin, milk white. 



