THE 
TASMANIAN JOURNAL 
OF 
NATURAL SCIENCE. 
JANUARY, 1846. 
Art. XVII. On the White Hawk of New Holland and Tas¬ 
mania. [.Astur Novce Hollandice .] By James Grant, Esq. 
Ornithologists are so much in the habit of altering the nomen¬ 
clature, from their fondness for the division and multiplication of 
genera ^ind species, that one is rather surprised to find any writer 
of the present day applying the same name to birds having the 
slightest claim to specific distinction. 
In his splendid work, “ The Birds of Australia/' Mr. Gould 
calls our beautiful White Hawk “ a mere Albino variety ” of the 
Astur Raii of Vigors and Horsfield; which latter bird he has 
accordingly figured as Astur Novce Hollandiw. 
Speaking of the Astur Raii Mr. Gould says—“ the only 
part of Australia in which I have met with this species is New 
South Wales; where it would appear to evince a preference for 
the dense and luxuriant brushes near the coast: but so little has 
been at present ascertained respecting its economy, range, and 
habits, that its history is nearly a blank. Even whether it is 
VOL. II. no. xi. 2 v 
