176 THE BIRDS OF AUSTBALIA 



A dweller in the interior, this sole Australian representative 

 of the Buzzards, generally flies high in the air, soaring in large 

 circles after the manner of the Eagle, the dark breast and large 

 white mark at the base of the wing conspicuous from below. 

 Its sight is keen, and it will be drawn from great distances by 

 a freshly-killed wallaby or kangaroo-rat. The eggs white with 

 irregular blotches of brown or lilac, 2.5 by 1.8 inches. 



The Wedge-tailed Eagle. 



Uroaetus {Aquila) audax. 



Australia and Tasmania. 



General colour of adult black, of the young rufous; bill yellowish 

 with black tip; feet light yellow; iris hazel. Length 38 inches, wing 

 24 inches. 



Mr. Gould killed an Eagle which weighed nine pounds, and 

 had a spread of wings of six feet eight inches, and saw far 

 larger individuals. This is by far the largest and most powerful 

 of our Eaptores, and though, perhaps with a democratic 

 contempt for noble freebooters, it is known in most parts of 

 Australia as merely the Eagle Hawk, it is in sober truth one of 

 the very largest and iinest of the Eagles of the world. It is 

 equal in size to the North American White Headed Eagle, and 

 larger than the famous Golden Eagle of Europe. Gould, who 

 was familiar with both birds, writes: "All that has been said 

 concerning the courage, power and rapacity of the Golden Eagle 

 applies with equal force to Aquila audax ; but the lengthened and 

 wedge-shaped form of its tail gives to the Australian bird a far 

 more pleasing and elegant contour." The spread of the wings 

 has been known to reach ten feet. The Eagle is a wide ranger, 

 easily covering long distances. His centre of observation is 

 aloft, and here his movements are free and elegant. He sails 

 easily from mountain ridge to mountain ridge high over the 

 deep intervening valley, or circles and soars over the wide plains, 

 with keen eye eager to discern any live quarry or dead carcass 

 which may be in the neighbourhood. The large Bustard or the 

 Wallaby, lambs or young goats, are the game he prefers. 

 Mr. Keartland on one occasion witnessed a pair of Eagles 

 hunting a young wallaby from rock to rock on the side of a 

 range, until at last it was secured and carried off. But the 



