NESTS AND EGGS OE AUSTRALIAN ACCIPITRES. 
423 
first and original nest was found in September, 1884, by Mr. 
Barnard’s sons in the top of a lofty Moreton Bay ash ( Eucalyptus 
tesselaris ) on their cattle station. The nest contained a pair of eggs. 
Mr. Barnard did not allow the interesting discovery to grow cold, but 
at once forwarded a specimen to the Australian Museum for Dr. 
Ramsay to describe, while the description furnished by me in the 
“ Victorian Naturalist ” was taken from the other specimen in the 
collection at Coomooboolaroo. 
A second nest was not found till 29th October, 1889, when a 
fine egg was forwarded by Mr. Barnard in an unostentatious manner, as 
was his quiet, unobtrusive disposition, to adorn my collection. This 
time the nest was built in a lemon -scented gum {Eucalyptus citriodora), 
and was constructed in a flat fork projecting straight out from the 
tree at a height of about GO feet from the ground. There were two 
eggs in the nest ; but in communicating with Mr. North, to whom he 
afso presented a specimen. Mr. Barnard wrote: — “A rather singular 
occurrence took place about the Radiated Goshawk’s nest. When my 
sons found it there were two eggs in it ; and one of them shot the 
male. About a month after, being up that way again, one of them 
climbed the tree and found another egg in the nest, evidently laid after 
the first eggs were taken and the male shot. 5 
The description, &c., of the eggs above given are from those two 
nests. A third nest was, however, found on the 3rd October, 1893, by 
Mr. Harry Barnard, but it contained two young ones a few days old. 
In this instance the nest was again situated in a large lemon-scented 
gum, and at a distance of 73 feet from the ground. 
The breeding months of the Red or Radiated Goshawk may there- 
fore be said to be August, September and October. 
Accipiter cirrhocephalus, Vieillot. 
(Collared Sparrow-hawk.) 
Figure . — Gould: “ Birds of Australia,” fol., vol. i., pi. 19. 
Previous Descriptions of Eggs.— Gould: “Birds of Australia” 
(1848), also Handbook, vol. i., p.46 (1865); Ramsay: P.L.S., New 
South Wales, vol. vii., p. 413 (1882). 
Geographical Distribution. — Australia in general, Tasmania, and 
New Guinea. 
Nest. — Sometimes large, at other times small, constructed of 
sticks and twigs, lined inside with fibrous material or eucalypt 
leaves, and situated in the forked branches of a tree usually growing 
near water. Frequently the nest of another bird of prey is used. 
Egcjs. — Clutch, 3-4 ; round iu shape; texture of shell comparatively 
fine, with surface lustreless ; colour white or of a bluish or greenish 
tinge, devoid of markings, but more frequently stained with dirt from 
the nest during incubation, while other examples possess a few blotches 
or spots of dark-brown. A full clutch found at Coomooboolaroo, 
Queensland, 29th October, 1891, by Mr. Dudley Le Souef, measures 
in centimetres: (1) 3*9 x 3*08; (2) 3 86 x 3*14; (3) 3* 85 x 3*06. 
Observations, — This is the smallest of Australian hawks ; but for 
a bold and fearless disposition, rapidity of flight, abrupt turning, and 
unerring aim at luckless prey, the little Sparrow-hawk far excels 
many of its larger compeers. Let me give an instance seen by my 
