NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN ACCIPITRES. 435 
Gould did not succeed in procuring the eggs of the Black-breasted 
Buzzard, leaving Mr. Bennett, Dr. Ramsay, and myself to make a rush 
for places long years afterwards. I think we finished in tlie order 
named, with this disadvantage to myself — that the eggs I described 
did not become my property. 
The only nest of the Buzzard I have observed was near Moulamein, 
River in a. It was slightly smaller than the eagle’s aerie, was situated 
in the fork of a dead tree, at no great height above ground ; but the 
tree, being barkless and “ greasy,” was difficult to climb ; therefore the 
inside of the nest was not inspected. The Buzzard was observed in 
the vicinity, but did not appear to be sitting. When we retired to a 
distance, crows came and wrangled with each other at the side of the 
nest, most probably over some flesh that the old Buzzard had left for 
its young. It was then the 18th September. 
The chief breeding months of the Buzzard may include from 
August to November. 
“The natives, Mr. Drummond and his son, Mr. Johnson Drum- 
mond, tell me,” says Gilbert, “ that this bird is so bold that, upon 
discovering an emu sitting on her eggs, it will attack her with great 
ferocity until it succeeds in driving her from the nest, when, the eggs 
being the attraction, it takes up a stone with its feet, and while 
hovering over ihe nest lets it fall upon and crush them, and then 
•descends and devours their contents.” Gould adds : “It is to be 
wished that persons favourably situated would ascertain if the story 
of the birds breaking the eggs of the emu be correct, or if it be one 
of the numerous myths of the aborigines.” However, the aborigines 
are correct for once, and the fact has been fully established by the 
late Mr. K. II. Bennett, who enjoyed singular opportunities for 
observing the Buzzard in the interior country of New South Wales. 
I quote at length from Mr. Bennett, in the “Proceedings of the 
Linnean Society of New South Wales” : — 
“ Its prey to a great extent consists of various reptiles — 
such as snakes, frill- necked and sleepy lizards ; it also has the 
singular habit of robbing the nests of emus and bustards of their 
eggs. My first information on this point I obtaiued from the 
blacks,* and for some time 1 was inclined to disbelieve their 
assertion, though the same story was told by the blacks from all 
parts of the district, as it was so contrary to my experience of 
the Accipiter family. At length, however, 1 was compelled to alter 
my opinion, for I subsequently found portions of emu egg shells in 
the nest of one of these Buzzards. The manner in which they effect 
the abstraction of the emu eggs — as told me by the blacks — shows an 
amount of cunning and sagacity that one would scarcely give the bird 
credit for, aud is as follows On observing a nest, the Buzzard 
searches for a stone, or what is much more frequently found here, a 
hard lump of calcined earth. Armed with this, the Buzzard returns, 
and, should the emu be on the nest, alights on the ground some 
distance off, and approaches with outstretched flapping wings. The 
emu, alarmed at this, to it, strange-looking object, hastily abandons 
the nest and runs away. The Buzzard then takes quiet possession, 
and with a stone breaks a hole in the side of each egg, into which it 
*Mr. Bennett has probably inadvertently overlooked the fact that a blacks’ story 
Is likewise mentioned in Gould. 
