THE BIRDS OE AUSTRALIA. 
standing alongside of me. With my free hand I caught the Falcon by the 
legs, and a piece of string being obtained, tied it to the verandah post, where 
after a few fruitless attempts to escape, he eventually gave it up as hopeless 
and assumed a defiant attitude. On throwing the body of the dead Swallow 
to him he at once clutched and devoured it, as he did with a Myzantha flavigula 
I shot and threw to him. On several occasions I have found their nests, which 
are almost always placed in an inaccessible situation.’ Mr. G. A. Heartland’s 
notes read : ‘ The White-fronted Falcon {Falco lunulatus) is found every- 
where, either on the coast or far inland. I shot a pair at Brighton (Victoria) 
whilst they were endeavouring to capture some Pigeons. This Falcon 
possesses extreme keen sight, and singles out its prey at a great distance. 
It then flies fast and low until within striking distance, when it seldom fails 
to secure its victim. In Central Australia I saw one dash into a flock of 
Finches drinking at a rock pool, and before the little birds could scatter 
sufficiently to escape, it seized one in each foot, and then flew away with them. 
At Brookman Creek, Western Australia, a flock of Cockatoo-Parrakeets were 
drinking on the water’s edge, when a White-fronted Falcon suddenly dashed 
into their midst. The Cockatoo-Parrakeets scattered in all directions, but 
the Falcon pursued and caught one which flew towards me, and was making 
off with it when I fired, knocking some feathers out of the Falcon. It dropped 
the Cockatoo-Parrakeet to the ground, but in a few seconds it swooped down 
on its victim, and was carrying it away, when another shot caused it to again 
drop the bird, which was quite dead when picked up. The White-fronted 
Falcon is more courageous and stronger on the wing in proportion to its size 
than any other representative of the Falconinse. It always chooses living 
prey and will seize and carry off birds exceeding itself in weight, and can 
overtake and capture the fastest flying Parrakeets. During the breeding 
season they frequently make raids on domestic Pigeons kept in the centre 
of the city, and carry off the strongest homing Antwerps.’ ” 
Hall, in the Emu, Vol. III., p. 40, 1903, gave J. P. Rogers’ note made 
in North-west Australia as follows : “ This morning I saw this species {Falco 
lunulatus) keeping low and flying at a tremendous rate immediately above 
the grass. Some Wood Swallows {A. cinereus) seeing the Hawk coming 
while they were perched in a tree, and the Hawk still 200 yards away, rose 
directly high into the air. One was singled out, and the Hawk, keeping 
below it, drove it still higher into the air. Going still higher, the Swallow 
then turned and made for the ground with the Hawk in close pursuit. It 
was a wonderful sight to see the Hawk, not more than one yard in the rear, 
following every turn of the bird pursued. Three times the Hawk missed 
his blow. When within 20 yards of the ground it made its final attack, and 
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