396 
The White Hawk 
ten years in the colony; or by any of my acquaintance, whose 
pursuits and opportunities of observation have been similar. 
In the “ Dictionnaire Classique d’Histoire Naturelle” the 
young of Astur Novce Hollandice are represented to be i€ gris 
cendre en dessus, dun blanc, raye de gris, en dessousa de¬ 
scription which would apply better to the young of Astur Raii 
for the others are of a spotless white. I have repeatedly procured 
specimens which had apparently but just left the nest: three in¬ 
dividuals in this condition, and scarcely able to fly, were some 
time since shot in this neighbourhood, by a gentleman with whom 
I am acquainted. 
With regard to the diversity in the colouring of the irides, upon 
which Mr. Gould's hypothesis chiefly rests, I am of opinion that 
this is merely the effect of age. A great many specimens have 
passed through my hands, and I have always found the iris bright 
yellow in the young; changing to an orange, or even red colour in 
the old bird. But in all the pupil was uniformly of a deep black . 
The bright crimson iris must be very rare; but even this would 
indicate a structure of eye altogether different from that of the 
Albino, which is characterised by a rose-coloured iris, and red 
pupil , together with a weakness of vision, best adapted for twi¬ 
light ; whereas the sight of the White Hawk is exceedingly keen, 
even in the brightest sunshine. 
There is evidently no want of colouring matter in the eye, or in 
the bill, cere, or feet: nothing in its external appearance, there¬ 
fore, which would tend to confirm the opinion of Mr. Gould, 
except that it happens to be of exactly the same dimensions as 
its grey congener in New South Wales. 
Although the weak pinky-looking eye is certainly not always 
present in Albinos among the lower animals, there does not ap¬ 
pear to be sufficient grounds for considering this magnificent 
bird as an instance of the kind. An “ Albino variety becoming 
permanent/' without the intervention of man, must be a very 
rare occurrence indeed. 
On the whole, I think it will be acknowledged that a bird of a 
permanent and uniform colour, with well marked habits, and ob¬ 
served for nearly half a century, scattered over a region not inha- 
