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FALCO MELANOGENYS, Gouid.
B l a c k - c h e e k e d F a l c o n .
Falco Peregrinus, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 183.
Falco melanogehys, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 139 ; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part III.
Blue HawJc, Colonists of Western Australia.
Wolga, Aborigines of New South Wales.
Gwet-ul-bur, Aborigines of the mountain and lowland districts of Western Australia.
T h e present bird, like the F . hypoleucus, may be classed among the noble Falcons, being closely allied
both to the Peregrine of Europe and the Duck-Hawk o f North America, to both o f which it assimilates
also in its bold and rapacious habits, a character which renders it; a favourite with the Aborigines, who
admire it for its courage in attacking and conquering birds much larger than itself. Like its American
congener it preys eagerly upon ducks, and Mr. Gilbert informs me th at h e has seen it attack and carry off
the Nyroca Australis, a species at least half as heavy again as itself Thus we find in this Falcon a bird
well adapted for the sport of Falconry, which though fallen into disuse in Europe, may at some future
time be revived in this new and rising country, since its lagoons and water-courses are well stocked
with herons and cranes, and its vast plains are admirably suited to such pastime. The introduction of
hounds for the purpose o f chasing the native dog (Dingo) and the Kangaroo has already taken place in
Australia, and perhaps it is not too much to look forward to the time when the noble science o f Falconry
shall be resorted to by the colonists. A finer mews o f birds could not be formed in any country than in
Australia, with such typical Falcons as the F. hypoleucus, F. melanogenys and F.frontatus.
The present bird is universally dispersed over the whole southern portion o f Australia, including Van
Diemen’s Land, and probably future research will discover th at its range extends over all parts of the continent.
I t gives preference to steep rocky cliffs, and the sides o f precipitous gullies, rather than to fertile
and woodland districts, b u t especially seeks such rocky localities as are washed by the sea, or are in the
neighbourhood of inland lakes and rivers. In such situations it dwells in pairs throughout the year, much
after the manner of the Peregrine. Its nest is placed in those parts of the rocks that are most precipitous
and inaccessible. The eggs are two in number; their ground-colour is buff, but which is scarcely perceptible
from the predominance o f the blotching of deep reddish chestnut, with which it is marbled all
ov er; they are two inches and one line long, by one inch and seven and a half lines broad.
The stomach is large and membranous; and the food consists of birds, principally of the Duck tribe.
The sexes present the usual difference in size-, the male being considerably smaller than the female, as
will be seen in the accompanying illustration.
The male has the head, cheeks, and back o f the neck deep brownish black; the feathers o f the upper
surface, wings and tail alternately crossed with equal-sized bands o f deep grey and blackish brown ; outer
edges o f the primaries uniform blackish brown, their inner webs obscurely barred with light buff; throat
and chest delicate fawn-colour, passing into reddish grey on the abdomen; tail-feathers ornamented with
an oval-shaped spot of dark brown ; abdomen, flanks, under surface, o f the wing, and under tail-coverts
reddish grey, crossed by numerous irregular bars of blackish brown ; bill light bluish lead-colour a t the tip,
becoming much lighter a t the base ; cere, legs and feet yellow; claws black.
The female differs from the male in being larger in all her proportions, and in having the throat and
chest more richly tinted with fulvous, which colour also extends over the abdomen, the feathers of which
are not so strongly barred with brown as in the male.
The figures are those o f a male and a female of the natural size.