THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
scrutinises the ground beneath. Should the movement of some insect or 
small reptile attract its attention, it is unerringly pounced on, and either 
devoured on the spot or carried off to some perch to be eaten at leisure. It 
breeds in September, generally taking possession of the disused nest of another 
species, but more often that of Corone australis. Occasionally it deposits 
its eggs. Parrot-like, in a hole in a branch or trunk of a tree.” Mr. G. A. 
Heartland, from Melbourne, Victoria, added: “The pretty little Nankeen 
Kestrel is a great favourite of mine, and should be held in good repute by all 
dwellers in the country. These birds are, as a rule, perfectly harmless as far 
as chickens are concerned, but are great hunters of mice, crickets, lizards and 
grasshoppers. While the Kestrel is found throughout Australia, they are 
most numerous in the agricultural portions, where they may be seen flying 
round the haystacks, or fluttering over the stubble in search of mice. I have 
seen as many as seventeen of these birds flying over a field of fifty acres, 
sometimes skimming close to the ground, and at others, by a slight quiver 
of the wings, remaining almost stationary for several minutes, they drop like 
a stone on to their victims, which they carry to the nearest tree or fence to 
consume. They make excellent pets, and their chaste colouring and graceful 
movements render them very attractive.” 
Other notes in the same place refer mostly to nidification and eggs. 
Of Cerchneis cenchroides Batey observed {Emu, Vol. VII., p. 3, 1907) 
in Victoria : “ This bird nested every year on our station ; perhaps owing to 
introduced Sparrows and Starlings taking up the few hollow spouts, it does 
not breed there now. It still appears, and is found in the Drouin region. 
Once I saw it peep into a hole in a tree branch where a White-rumped Wood- 
Swallow had her nest in Riverina. The Kestrel evidently saw there was only 
one plan to secure the sitting bird, so, thrusting his long leg down the aperture, 
he pulled the poor thing out.” 
Burrell has given the following note in the Emu, Vol. VIII., p. 95, 1908 : 
“While walking along the Namoi River (New South Wales), unfortunately 
without my usual companion, the camera, I saw what at first sight appeared 
to be a gnarled root projecting from the bank. But, being uncertain, and 
to convince myself, I walked towards it and found it to be a Nankeen Kestrel 
{Cerchneis cenchroides). It was sitting almost erect, with its head turned 
slightly to one side, resembling broken roots in the vicinity. It allowed me 
to approach within 10 feet of it before it flew away. In flying I noticed that 
one of its legs was missing— -possibly it had been shot off, and apparently 
for some considerable time. I am of opinion that the Kestrel, through this 
deficiency, found it rather difficult to perch on the trees, so took to roosting 
on ledges of the river banks, where it has acquired the art of root mimicking.” 
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