BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 9 



tents of the stomachs of a number that I have examined, seems to 

 be chiefly insects, such as grass grub moths, crickets, chafer 

 beetles, grasshoppers, and the hke. 



On account of its habit of frequenting the vicinity of home- 

 steads, and its comparative tameness, it more often falls a victim 

 to the farmer's gun than any other species. Even if it does take 

 an occasional chicken, it more than pays for it by the number 

 of insect pests destroyed. But then a Hawk is just a Hawk, and 

 nothing more, to the average agriculturist. 



KE STEEL 

 {Cerchneis cenchroides, Vig. and Horsf.) 



Male. — Head, back, and wing coverts cinnamon-red; the 

 feathers of the head and neck finely streaked with black ; tail grey, 

 banded near the extremity with black, and tipped with white; 

 primaries and secondaries dark brown; under surface buffy-white, 

 the feathers very finely streaked with black. Dimensions in mm. : 

 —Length, 301; bill, 17; wing, 248; tail, 158; tarsus, 37. 



Female. — Similar in plumage. 



Nest. — ^No proper nest is formed, the eggs being generally laid 

 either in a crevice in a cliff or a hollow spout of a tree. 



Eggs. — Clutch four to five usually; roundish, with one end 

 slightly compressed; texture of shell fine and slightly glossed; 

 colour pinkish-white, freckled and blotched with reddish-brown 

 and dajk brown, principally on the larger end. Dimensions in mm. 

 of a clutch :— (1) 41 x 35, (2) 40.75 x 34.5, (3) 41 x 34.5, (4) 41 x 35. 



Breeding Season. — August to November. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, King Island, and the 

 mainland generally. 



Observations. — To the best of my knowledge, this species has 

 not been met with in the northern parts of the island. Col. Legge 

 is of opinion that it is merely a visitor. He informs me that a 

 pair bred in the Sorell district, and also knows of it being observed 

 three times in the vicinity of Cambridge. It does not appear to 

 be at all plentiful on King Island. At the April (1889) meeting 

 of the Eoyal Society of Tasmania, ' ' the Secretary drew attention 

 to a rare bird that has lately been shot near Muddy Plains. It 

 was commonly known in Australia as the 'Nankeen Kestrel. ' ' ' Mr. 

 Morton stated that it was a singular coincidence that in April, 1875, 

 two specimens now in the Museum were shot at Sorell. It was 

 in April, 1873, that the first specimen of this species was obtained, 

 from Clarence Plains. 



