SWAMP-HAWK OR GOULD'S HARRIER 147 
variety of situations. Most frequently it is on the 
ground, sheltered by the highest part of a growing 
crop. I have seen it among tall reeds, on the banks 
of the Barv^on and at Reedy Lake, and yet again 
in a thick growth of rushes in a swamp in open country. 
Whatever the site, the materials vary but little. They 
are slight for a Hawk's nest, being commonly a mass 
of light twigs and stalks of grass heaped up to 6 inches 
or more, with the egg-depression on top lined with 
rather softer materials. Four eggs is the almost 
invariable clutch ; they are rather like Hen eggs in 
shape, pure white, with a green tinge on the inside 
of the shell. 
WHITE HAWK 
Leucospiza novce-hollandice novce-hollandice 
The whole of the plumage, in all birds of this species 
which I have seen from this locality, is pure white, 
without markings, the legs and eyes yellow. By this 
time one must call it one of our rarest Hawks, seeing 
that no amount of education will induce the inhabitants 
of the forest to leave this bird alone if they have a 
chance of shooting it. They shoot it because it is 
beautiful, making to themselves the baseless excuse 
that it is a Hawk, and that all Hawks are hurtful, 
which they are not. Then the body of the glorious 
bird, which but now hovered over the gully, pure 
white between the emerald of tall gums and the 
fleckless blue of heaven, is thrown away to rot by 
