Our Birds of Prey. 153 
the creeper, and, ere a gun could cover it, had flown 
away with the dying bird. 
In all parts of the colony, they are to be met 
with. On the outskirts of the town, or in the country 
districts ; in the low bush, or dense tall forests of the 
interior ; in the open savannahs, or on the high lands ; 
along the open, sheltered or secluded creeks and rivers, or 
on the exposed mud flats and swamps, they are almost 
always to be seen, either perching on some stump or 
branch, walking on the ground, or flying overhead, while 
seeking for mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects, crus- 
taceans or worms, or even fruits and seeds, which seem to 
be equally acceptable. Their cry is a very character- 
istic one, frequently repeated as they perch, motionless, 
on the top of the high dead branches of some great forest 
tree, where doubtless they build their nests. 
This is the only hawk, which, to my knowledge, having 
mistaken the stuffed skins of birds put out in the sun to 
dry, for real bodies, has ever been bold or venturesome 
enough to dart at them and attempt to carry them off, 
even in the presence of persons standing not more than 
a few yards from the spot. 
The second species of the group, the so-called 
goshawk or grey-barred buzzard (Asturina nittda), is 
also a common bird, more especially close to the town 
and about the estates and low lands of the various tidal 
creeks. These birds have much of the habits of the fore- 
going species, but they are much larger, being from 16-18 
inches in length, much less numerous, and thus corres- 
pondingly less destructive. They are often to be 
observed hovering in the neighbourhood of the poultry 
yards in the country districts, though generally high up 
T 
