Our Birds of Prey. 151 
or great-billed buzzard (Asturina magnirostris) , which 
has already been mentioned as being the commonest hawk 
and of the widest distribution in the colony. It is about 
from 14-15 inches in length, and is readily distinguished 
from all others by its colouring. Above, it is of a pale 
slaty-brown, the feathers edged with greyish red in the 
young; the quills are rich red, broadly tipped and 
narrowly barred with black ; the tail is grey, broadly 
barred with three or four blackish bands according to 
age. Below, the throat and fore breast are grey, marked 
or banded with whitish or reddish-brown, according 
to age, and passing into regularly alternating bands of 
brownish-red and yellowish white on the hind breast and 
belly, less distinct behind, but very distinct; on the leg. 
The wings are short, not reaching back to half the 
length of the tail ; and the concealed tubercle on the 
upper inner lining of the oval nostrils (the mark of the 
genus) is rather large. 
An account has been already given of the omnivorous 
nature of these birds which seem to eat almost anything 
that comes in their way. They prey upon the bats, and 
especially the little long-nosed river bats (Rhyn- 
chonyfleris nasoj, which they pick off the bark of the 
trees along the creeks and rivers; and while they must 
be of great use in destroying fruit-eating bats, which they 
secure in the late evening before settling down for the 
night , and other fruit, and grain-destroying mammals, 
such as the small opossums, and mice and other small 
rodents, they are pests at the same time to the poultry- 
yards, where they often pounce upon and carry off the 
chickens. They must thus be extremely destructive to 
the young of all birds, the more especially as they 
