APPENDIX. 
“ Adult female. Length 17, breadth 39, wing 13^, tail 6 inches. Ground 
colour all over, above and below, clear blue-grey; tail the same but darker 
barred with dark brown, black shafts to the feathers on back and breast. 
Male. Length 15, breadth 34, wing 11|, tail 5^ inches; same plumage as 
female, but most of the tail-feathers greyish-brown and much worn, some 
new tail feathers grey as in female. These were in company and shot 
November 15th, 1872, on the River Nogoa. Base of beak, cere and orbits 
yellow; feet and legs orange yellow. Young male shot May 4th, 1872: 
greyish brown above, white on breast and belly, a narrow streak of blackish- 
brown down each feather, a few new grey feathers beginning to show on back 
and wings ; irides dark, beak cere, legs and feet as in adult. 
“ This is a heavy compact bird, not very shy and usually met with in 
pairs ; is most numerous on the western side of the range. I have seen it 
on the Thompson and Barcoo rivers ; it seems to prefer open plains ; its 
flight is very easy and rapid. I have little doubt it breeds in the Mitchell 
District, but of its habits generally I know nothing.” 
Black Falcon . . . . . . . . Notofalco suhniger, ante, p. 253. 
I here give Mr. J. B. White’s notes written about 1875 : “ Is a common 
bird on the open plains in the MitcheU District generally and found all the 
year ; it is easily shot from its boldness and habit of attending, generally in 
pairs, anyone riding across the plains, hovering overhead and swooping down 
on any quad or large grasshoppers that may be raised out of the long grass, 
descending on them with great force and a loud rushing noise ; the force of 
the descent is usually sufficient to take the bird up again to its original height, 
when it circles round, and holding the grasshopper in its feet, picks off the 
legs and wings and devours the rest. I have seen quail served in the same 
way. When driving sheep or cattle I have often seen two or three pairs thus 
engaged and keeping up with them for miles, and I have been led to ^st sheep 
by observing this bird hovering over them. When the Harlequin Bronze- 
wing or flock pigeon, as it is called here, is breeding, great numbers of young 
are killed by these birds, but they never seem to attempt to catch anything 
on the ground, only on the wing, and quaff escape by dropping into the long 
grass. 
“ The male of this bird is smaller and darker than the female. I never 
saw this bird with a yellow cere, always bluish lead colour, same as base of 
beak : legs and feet also bluish. Though this bird must breed in the district 
I never yet met with its nest or eggs. 
421 
