LEPIDOGENYS SUBCRISTATUS, Gow.

Crested Hawk.

Lepiaogenys subcristatus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 140; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part III.

 

I recret to say that I am not sufficiently acquainted with this singular species to give any account of its
habits and economy, but, judging from the feebleness of its bill and talons and the shortness of its tarsi, I
conceive that it principally preys upon insects and their larve ; and it is not improbable that honey and the
larvee of bees and ants, which abound in Australia, may form a portion of its food. Any information on
this head that may have been ascertained by residents in Australia would, if made known, be of the highest
interest to ornithologists, as an addition to the history of this singular form among the Fulconide. Its
extreme rarity, however, will, I fear, tend much to prevent the acquirement of this desirable information,

I saw it soaring high in the air over the plaims in the neighbourhood of the Namoi, but never sufficiently
near to admit of a successful shot, All the specimens I have seen were collected either at Moreton Bay or
on the banks of the Clarence.

As little or no difference exists in the plumage of the specimens I have examined, I presume that the
sexes are very similar.

Crown of the head, sides of the face, ear-coverts, and upper part of the back brownish grey ; occiput and
lengthened occipital plumes blackish brown; back and scapulars brown ; wings uniform dark brownish grey

above, beneath silvery grey; primaries and secondaries crossed by several bands, and largely terminated

with black ; rump and upper tail-coverts chocolate-brown ; tail brownish grey above, lighter beneath, crossed
« arnt ay nN ao a a) 8 ‘hroat ’ Ss

by three narrow bands of black near the base, and deeply ter minated with the same colour ; igi ane

part of the shoulder, and under tail-coverts greyish white tinged with rufous; abdomen, flanks and thighs

bufly white, crossed with conspicuous narrow bands of reddish chestnut ; bill bluish horn-colour ; tarsi

yellowish.
The Plate pourtrays the bird of the natural size,