ALLIED HAREIER (SWAMP-HAWK). 
a bunch of trodden-down reeds, ofttimes an old nest. That meals are 
plentiful, the Coots’ feathers and claws, rabbit skins and bones of smaller 
creatures amply testify. The nests I found last season were all built in reed 
tussocks, generally close to watery sometimes in clumps standing in 2 to 3 feet 
of water. Sticks and bark formed the foundation, with grassy lining. The 
nest is easily found, the sitting bird betraying the situation as she rises very 
suddenly when the intruder is heard approaching. One bird I often flushed 
was a magnificent specimen of her species, large framed and beautifully 
marked. She was sitting on three eggs, very small and dainty, white with 
dark green lining. I took them on 23rd November and placed two pullet 
eggs (white and pierced) in their place, as an experiment, to see what the 
Hawk would do, also how long she would continue to sit. As soon as I was 
apparently out of sight she returned to her nest, and had such faith in the 
eggs that she continued sitting for some weeks. The Christmas holidays 
intervened, and when I looked at the nest early in February there were no 
traces of shells. Probably the eggs were eaten by Crows after the Hawk’s 
desertion. An interesting fact in connection with this bird was that close at 
hand was a second Hawk’s nest, from which at sundown I sometimes flushed 
a Harrier, but in it eggs were never laid : so I came to the conclusion that 
the bird which was off duty slept on this spare nest. I have known these 
Harriers to desert a partly-made nest because it had been inspected. All 
local birds look on these Hawks as enemies : even the RoseUa Parrots 
{Platycercus eximius) chase them. Last season I watched a pair of Circus 
gouldi attack a White Cockatoo {Cacatua galerita) as it flew across a lagoon. 
One Hawk struck it, but it got away, uttering most discordant shrieks, 
and leaving a clawful of white feathers behind.” 
Norths in the Austr. Mus. Spec. Cat., no. 1, Vol. III., pp. 179-183^ 1911, 
records a great deal about the nesting, nest and eggs of this species, and 
from that source I extract the following interesting note of its habits by 
Mr. K. H. Bennett : “ Although by no means numerous. Circus gouldi may 
be met with in this locality (Booligal, New South Wales) all the year 
roimd, but only where there are swamps affording shelter for waterfowl, 
which^ with their young, constitute a portion of its food. It is much fiercer 
and more rapacious than Circus assimilis, and does not hesitate to attack 
birds of larger size, such as Ducks, Waterhens and Coots. It has a curious 
habit in the mode of descent from an immense height above a swamp 
or reed-bed, and in uttering shrill screams while so engaged. Usually the 
first indication of the presence of this Harrier is its wild and piercing note, 
and on looking up the observer sees the bird high up in the air performing 
the most extraordinary evolutions, tumbling head downwards for a long 
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