THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
stout, scaly, three inches in length, and yellow, the feathers hanging over the 
joint before ; claws long and pale. 
Inhabits New South Wales — found about Parametta ; perhaps 
differing from the other only in sex.” “ 
The name connection suggested the above reference to Caley, as he lived 
at Parramatta, but the descriptions do not agree. It may be that Latham 
described his “ Parametta Falcon ” from a painting, but no details are given 
and it must be remembered that when this work of Latham’s was published 
he was a very old man and consequently inaccuracies in the description may 
be forgiven him. 
Mr. Thos. P. Austin has written me from Cobbora, New South Wales, as 
follows : “ A very common species in all parts I have visited which is lightly 
timbered. Here, although never in very great numbers, there are always 
a few pairs about. They are very quiet, and of all our Hawks it shows the 
least fear of man. They have a peculiar habit of posing almost motionless 
in the air about 50 feet from the ground ; they do this even when there is 
a very strong wind blowing, then suddenly they will turn with the wind and 
sail away very rapidly with graceful flight. Many of them breed here and 
return to the same nesting-place for several seasons. I have never known 
them to nest anywhere but within a hollow, although I know of many instances 
of them taking possession of the nest which has been built by some other 
species. They usually lay four eggs, but it is no uncommon thing to find 
a clutch of five, and I have a set of six in my collection.” 
Dr. A. Morgan has sent me the following note : “A common bird in all 
parts of South Australia. At Laura these birds had a bad reputation as 
chicken-eaters, so I shot a few birds to find out what they fed on, and the 
stomach of every bird contained the remains of mice, but on one occasion 
I saw one devouring a small bird : I have also found the remains of beetles 
in the castings about their nesting-places ; they catch their prey by hovering 
over and pouncing upon it. They are not at all shy birds and are still to be 
seen hovering over the park lands about Adelaide, and even resting upon 
the buildings in the city itself. For some years a pair roosted under the 
eaves of a house at Glenelg, opposite the stopping place of the train. They 
came in each night almost exactly at sundown and left before I was up in 
the morning. They lay their eggs in hollow trees, on ledges in cliffs without 
making any nest, or sometimes if hollows are scarce, in the old nests of crows 
or magpies. In the non-breeding season they use the hollows as roosting 
places. The eggs are two to six in number, usually four : average size of 
35 eggs, 3.90 x 3.10 cm. ; largest egg, 4.20 x 3.10 cm. ; smallest egg, 3.70 x 
3.00 cm. Earliest date on which egg taken, September 14th, by Mr. J. M. 
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