THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
young Barnard Parrakeets were hatching out, soon to be followed by 
numerous broods of Galahs and Blood-stained Cockatoos, so that the young 
of the Falcons would not lack food. Another pair were seen on the 24th 
September, in a Box flat at Langawirra, but had not yet nested. On our 
return journey, when exploring Jalcowinna Creek on the 10th October, 
Mr. M‘Lennan and I saw a female Grey Falcon attack, in most vigorous 
fashion, a Raven which was very glad to escape out on to the plains. 
We soon found the Falcon’s nest, built high up on a slender leaning 
branch of a Gum, as near to the top of the tree as possible, sixty feet 
from the ground. The nest was loosely constructed of twigs and small 
branchlets, and lined with fine bark, the egg cavity being eight inches in. 
diameter and six inches deep ; it contained four eggs in an advanced stage 
of incubation. As with the others, these birds made no attempt to defend 
their nest, flying round at a respectful distance. During my trip in 
September, 1911, I only came across one pair of these birds: they had a 
nest on Jalcowinna Creek, placed as usual on the topmost branch of a 
Eucalyptus ; the nest contained three young birds not long hatched.” 
Dr. A. M. Morgan has written me : “ Falco hy'poleucus. I had three 
specimens of this bird given to me at Laura, near where they had been shot in 
the Flinders Ranges. My brother, Mr. E. R. Morgan, took a clutch of two 
eggs near Mount Gunson, 105 miles N.W. of Port Augusta, on July 31, 1899. 
I saw a single bird at Kallioota near Lake Torrens in August, 1912, and Mr. 
J. M. Merryfield of that station took a clutch of two eggs on September 4, 
1912 : the nest was built in a large gum-tree near a creek. The first clutch 
measure 5.25 x 3.90 and 5.50 x 3.90 cm., and the second 5.35 x 3.80 and 
5.25 X 3.90 cm. The eggs are not distinguishable in colour from those of 
Hieracidea berigora, but those in my collection are somewhat more elongate 
in form.” 
Ramsay, in the Proc. Zool, Soc. (Lond.) 1875, p. 579, observed : “ This 
exceedingly scarce bird was met with by Inspector Robert Johnstone, Esq., 
of the Herbert river, on the tablelands due west of CardweU, and on the 
ranges thereabouts ; J. B. White, Esq., of Springsure, due west inland from 
Rockhampton, likewise noticed it, and was fortunate enough to obtain 
several specimens. The young differ slightly from the adults, and, like others 
of the tribe, are occasionally mottled with brown on leaving the nest.” 
I am not admitting any subspecies here, though in the Austral Avian 
Record, Vol. II., p. 73, 1913, I described Falco hypoleucus ashbyi with the 
note : “ This new subspecies differs from F. h. hypoleucus Gould in being 
darker above and light blue-grey on the under-surface — not white ; all the 
feathers have a dark centre line. The tail is barred. 
238 
J 
