On a review of the above Table it will be seen that 385 species inhabit New South Wales, 289 South Australia, 243 Western Australia, 230 Northern Australia, and 181 Van Diemen’s Land; and that of these, 88 are peculiar to New South Wales; 16 to South Australia; 36 to Western Australia; 105 to Northern Australia, and 32 to Van Diemen’s Land.
The great excess in the number of species inhabiting New South Wales is doubtless attributable to the singular belt of luxuriant vegetation, termed brushes, which stretches along the southern and south-eastern coasts between the ranges and the sea, and which is tenanted by a fauna peculiarly its own.
Although this part of the continent is inhabited by a larger number of species than any other, it is a remarkable fact that the species peculiar to Northern Australia are much more numerous than those peculiar to New South Wales.
It is curious to observe also, that while Southern Australia is inhabited by a much larger number of species than Western Australia, those peculiar to the former are not half so numerous as those peculiar to the latter.
The more southern position, and consequently colder climate of Van Diemen’s Land, will readily account for the paucity of species found in that island.
By the term peculiar, I do not mean to convey the idea that the birds are strictly confined to the respective countries, but that as yet they have not been found elsewhere.
LIST OF PLATES
VOLUME I.
| Aquila fucosa, Cuv. | Wedge-tailed Eagle | [1] |
| —— Morphnoïdes, Gould | Little Australian Eagle | [2] |
| Ichthyiaëtus leucogaster | White-bellied Sea Eagle | [3] |
| Haliaster leucosternus, Gould | White-breasted Sea Eagle | [4] |
| —— sphenurus | Whistling Eagle | [5] |
| Pandion leucocephalus, Gould | White-headed Osprey | [6] |
| Falco hypoleucus, Gould | Grey Falcon | [7] |
| —— melanogenys, Gould | Black-cheeked Falcon | [8] |
| —— subniger, Gray | Black Falcon | [9] |
| —— frontatus, Gould | White-fronted Falcon | [10] |
| Ieracidea Berigora | Brown Hawk | [11] |
| —— occidentalis, Gould | Western Brown Hawk | [12] |
| Tinnunculus Cenchroïdes | Nankeen Kestril | [13] |
| Astur Novæ-Hollandiæ | New Holland Goshawk | [14] |
| —— —— (albino) | White Goshawk | [15] |
| —— radiatus | Radiated Goshawk | [10] |
| —— approximans, Vig. & Horsf. | Australian Goshawk | [17] |
| —— cruentus, Gould | West Australian Goshawk | [18] |
| Accipiter torquatus | Collared Sparrow Hawk | [19] |
| Buteo melanosternon, Gould | Black-breasted Buzzard | [20] |
| Milvus affinis, Gould | Allied Kite | [21] |
| —— isurus, Gould | Square-tailed Kite | [22] |
| Elanus axillaris | Black-shouldered Kite | [23] |
| —— scriptus, Gould | Letter-winged Kite | [24] |
| Lepidogenys subcristatus, Gould | Crested Hawk | [25] |
| Circus assimilis, Jard. & Selb. | Allied Harrier | [26] |
| —— Jardinii, Gould | Jardine’s Harrier | [27] |
| Strix castanops, Gould | Chestnut-faced Owl | [28] |
| —— personata, Vig. | Masked Barn Owl | [29] |
| —— tenebricosus, Gould | Sooty Owl | [30] |
| —— delicatulus, Gould | Delicate Owl | [31] |
| Athene Boobook | Boobook Owl | [32] |
| —— maculata | Spotted Owl | [33] |
| ——? connivens | Winking Owl | [34] |
| —— strenua, Gould | Powerful Owl | [35] |
| —— rufa, Gould | Rufous Owl | [36] |
AQUILA FUCOSA: Cuv:
J. Gould and H. C. Richter delt C. Hallmandel Imp.