_J. Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._ ]
_Falco subniger_, Gray in Ann. Nat. Hist. 1843, p. 371.—Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, pl. 8.—List of Birds in Brit. Mus. Coll., part i. 2nd edit. p. 50.
_Falco ( Hierofalco) subniger_, Kaup, Isis, 1847, p. 76.
All that I am able to communicate respecting this rare species of Falcon is that I have seen four examples, which were killed in South Australia; no particulars of its habits have yet been recorded: it was observed by Captain Sturt during his expedition into the interior of that country, and he has favoured me with a note, in which he says, “This well-shaped and rapid bird was killed at the Depôt, where both male and female were procured, but it was by no means common, only two others having been seen.”
It is a fine and powerful species, and is doubtless very destructive to birds and the smaller quadrupeds.
The entire plumage dark sooty brown, becoming paler on the edges of the feathers of the upper surface; chin whitish; irides dark brown; cere yellow; bill lead-colour; legs and feet leaden yellow; claws black.
The figure represents a female, which is one-third larger than the male, of the natural size.
_J. & E. Gould del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._ ]
FALCO FRONTATUS, _Gould_. White-fronted Falcon.
_Falco frontatus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 139.
_Wow-oo_, Aborigines of the Murray in Western Australia.
_Little Falcon_, Colonists of Western Australia.
This, one of the least of the true Falcons found in Australia, is universally spread over the southern portion of that country, including Van Diemen’s Land and the islands in Bass’s Straits. As its long pointed wings clearly indicate, it possesses great and rapid powers of flight; and I have frequently been amused by pairs of this bird following my course over the plains for days together, in order to pounce down on the Quails as they rose before me. If I had wished to witness Falconry in perfection I could not have had a better opportunity than on these occasions, when it was interesting to observe how instinctively the Falcons performed their gyrations just above the dogs, in preparation for the stoop; and on those vast plains where there was not a tree or any other object to obstruct either the flight of the bird or our view of the chase, nothing could be more beautiful in its way than the actions of this species when pursuing the swift-flying Quail, which, although quickly overtaken, often evades the stroke of its enemy by suddenly dropping to the ground among the grasses.