170 



THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 



Suh-family Accipitrince. Long-legged Hawks. 



Key to the Genera. 



Hinder aspect of tarsus reticulated ; ruff of 



plumes around the face. 

 Hinder aspect of tarsus plated; no ruff or disc. 



Bill strong; legs and toes short. 



Bill small; legs and toes slender. 



Circus: Harriers. 



Astur : G-oshawks, 

 AccipIteT: Sparrow Hawks- 



Suh-family Buteoninm. Buzzards. 



Gemis Erythrotriorchis (Urospizias) . See p. 175. 



Suh-family Aquilince. See p. 176. 



Key to the Genera. 



Bill not toothed. Eagles and Kites. 



1. Tarsus clothed with feathers all round to base of toes. 



Tail wedge-shaped when closed. 

 Tail nearly square. 



2. Tarsus bare on lower portion. 



Nostrils oval vertical with bony margins. 

 Nostrils circular with bony margins. 

 Nostrils oblique: Kites. 

 Tail forked. 

 Tail nearly square. 

 Tail rounded. 



Tarsus mostly bare in front. 

 Tarsus mostly feathered in front. 

 Bill toothed: Falcons. 



Nostrils obliqual ovals ; head crested behind. 

 Nostrils circular. 



Outer toe longer than ' inner ( measured 



without claws). 

 Outer and inner toes equal. 



Distance between tips of primaries and 

 tips of secondaries not more than 

 half length of tail. 

 Same distance greater than half length of 

 tail. 



Uroagtus. 

 Eutolmaetus (NisaStus).' 



-Haliagtus. 

 Haliastur. 



Milvus. 

 Lophoictinia. 



Gypoictinia. 

 Elanus. 



Baza. 



Falco: Falcons proper. 



Hieracidea. 



Cerchneis: Kestrels. 



The Spotted Harrier. 



Circus assitnilis. 



Eastern Australia from New South Wales to Gape York; Celebes. 



Crown of head, cheeks and ear-coverts bright bi'ick-red; facial ruff 

 pale bluish grey; back grey; primaries with brown tips, secondaries 

 barred with brown; tail ashy, tipped with white, and crossed with bars 

 of black; under surface rufous, sprinTcled all over with rounded white spots ^ 

 the under wing-coverts and axillaries similarly coloured. Legs and iris 

 yellow; bill blue at base, black on culmen and at tip. Total length of 

 male 22 inches, of female 24.5. 



This beautiful Harrier is abundant over the plains, and on 

 the flats between the hills in mountainous districts. Gould 

 describes it as flying "lazily over the surface of the plains, 

 intently seeking for lizards, snakes, small quadrupeds and birds ; 



