BLACK-BREASTED BUZZARD. 
Qypoictinia melanostermb deceyta Mathews, Nov. ZooL, Vol. XVIII., p. 250, 1912 : Parry’s 
Creek, North-west AustraHa. 
Range. New South Wales ; Queensland, ; Northern Territory ; North-west Australia ; 
South Australia. 
Advdt female. General colour above dark brown with white bases to the feathers and 
tawny rufous margins, which are rather broad on the upper wing-coverts and 
narrower on the head and hind-neck where the feathers are lanceolate in form ; 
bastard-wing and primary-coverts blackish with whitish on the inner webs of the 
former and paler tips to the latter ; the first, or outer, primary black, the remainder 
hoary-grey with white bases to the inner webs, the second, third, fourth, fifth and 
sixth black on the apical portion, all of which are incised on the outer webs and 
the first to the fifth are incised on the inner webs ; secondary-quiUs brown, paler 
on the inner webs, which are more or less mottled with white and edged with the 
same at the tips, the innermost secondaries paler brown ; tail-feathers hoary-grey 
with pale edges at the tips and white mottling on the inner webs ; sides of face, 
throat and entire under-surface pale smo key -brown, paler on the throat, thighs, 
and under tail-coverts, with dark shaft-streaks to the feathers which are wider on 
the breast ; a black moustachial patch on the fore-cheeks ; greater under wing- 
coverts greyish-brown with white bases. Bill, upper and tip of lower mandible 
brown ; cere, lores and rest of bill leaden -grey ; eyes light greyish-brown ; feet and 
legs greyish -white. Total length 543 mm. ; culmen (without cere) 32, wing 450, 
tail 201, tarsus 67. Figured. Collected on Parry’s Creek, North-west Australia, on 
the 4th of February, 1909, by Mr. J. P. Rogers. 
Adult rmle similar to the female. Wing 446 mm., culmen 32, tarsus 67. Collected at Point 
Torment on the 13th of April, 1911. 
A pair collected at Mamgle Creek, North-west Australia, measure : — 
Male ... Wing 463 culmen 33 tarsus 64 mm. 
Female ... „ 468 ,, 33 ,, 64 ,, 
A pair from Alexandria in the Northern Territory measure : — 
Male ... Wing 437 culmen 31 tarsus 68 mm. 
Female ... „ 440 „ 34 ,, 68 „ 
Very old birds have the head and breast quite black. 
Nestlings are covered with buffy down ; dark brown on the rump and lores. 
Nest. A large structure made of sticks and lined with leaves. 
Eggs. Clutch, two ; white to buff, boldly blotched with reddish-purple and lavender. 
Axis 58-64 mm. ; diameter 44-51. 
Breeding-season. September to December. 
This is one of the finest, if not the finest, of the many Australian birds of 
prey first described by Gould, and as little has since been recorded regarding 
this still rare bird I quote his account : “ This fine species does not appear 
to be common in any of the Australian colonies. I have, however, 
received it from Swan River, and procured it myself during my journey 
into the interior of New South Wales, about two hundred miles 
northwards of Sy'dney ; I have also a specimen which was killed on the 
Liverpool Plains by one of the natives of New South Wales. The Black- 
189 
