THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Eggs. Clutch, two to four. Similar to those of the previous species but smaller. Bluish- 
white, with no gloss. Sometimes marked with spots or blotches of reddish-brown 
or lavender. Axis 37-39 mm. ; diameter 29-30 (Queensland). 
Breeding-season. September to December (East) ; July (West). 
The early history of this bird is scant, as, although it was figured in the 
Watling Drawings No. 21, Latham confused it, as Watling had done, with the 
Goshawk, Urospiza fasciata Vigors and Horsfield. 
Galey^ however, sent a specimen with the following note : “ The native 
name of this Hawk is Bilhil. It is a bold bird, and makes great havoc 
among chickens. I once witnessed it in the act of darting at a Blue 
Mountain Parrot, which was suspended in a cage from the bough of a 
mulberry-tree within a couple of yards of my door. The irides are yellow. 
The length of the male is 12| inches, of the female 14 J.” 
This specimen was determined by Vigors and Horsfield as Falco 
torquatus Cuv. as figured by Temminck, and it became known as Accipiter 
torquatus. Later Temminck’s bird was shown to be an Astur from Timor; 
it was also found that Vieillot had given the name Sparvius cirrocephalus 
to the description drawn up by Latham from the above-mentioned Watling 
Drawing. Thus, in the Gen. Synop. SuppL, p. 51, 1801, Latham described 
the New Holland Sparrow-Hawk from the Watling Drawing without admis- 
sion or recognition of the fact. He, however, did not give it a Latin name, - 
but referred it to Falco nisus as var. s. Vieillot recognised the description 
as inapplicable to Falco nisus, and therefore proposed to distinguish it as 
above, simply translating Latham’s description. Since Caley’s time few notes 
have been made concerning the life-history of this bird, which is therefore 
comparatively unknown. 
Captain S. A. White, writing from South Australia, simply notes: “Not 
a common bird in South Australia, but occasionally seen in pairs and very 
swift in flight. It seems to prefer the open timbered country to the 
plains.” 
Gould wrote : “ In its habits and disposition it has all the charac- 
teristics of its European ally the Accipiter nisus, whose boldness and daring 
spirit while in pursuit of its quarry have been so often described that they 
are familiar to everyone ; the sexes also exhibit the same disparity in 
size, the female being nearly as large and powerful again as her mate : 
hence the Quails and the numerous species of Honey-eaters find in her a 
most powerful enemy. For rapidity of flight and unerring aim, however, 
she is even surpassed by her more feeble mate, who may frequently be 
observed at one moment skimming quietly over the surface of the ground, 
and the next impetuously dashing through the branches of the trees in 
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