72 Transactions. — Zoology. 



My two live Owls were remarkably docile and gentle, 

 allowing themselves to be handled freely without any attempt 

 to bite or use their claws. When shipped to England they 

 were in very handsome condition. The female (always the 

 finer bird among this class) had the face almost perfectly 

 white, the feathers composing the disc having black hair-like 

 shafts and filaments, and those along the outer edges, com- 

 posing the fringe, having black centres ; wing-coverts present- 

 ing numerous large rounded spots of yellowish- white, their 

 markings increasing in size and becoming lozenge-shaped on 

 the scapulars, there being one on each vane, that on the outer 

 vane being very white and conspicuous ; transverse bars on 

 upper surface of tail broad but obscurely marked. Bill bluish- 

 grey, yellowish towards the tip and along the cutting-edge ; 

 cere pale greenish-yellow ; hides dark lustrous-brown, almost 

 black ; toes pale-yellow, the claws grey, with darker points. 



The other bird (which I assume to be a male) is scarcely 

 inferior in size, but has the plumage generally duller, the 

 white markings less conspicuous, w 7 ith the bill and feet paler- 

 coloured. 



The latter, on being taken from its cage to be photographed 

 by Mr. Henry Wright, manifested so persistent a desire to get 

 away from the light, and to hide itself in the shade of the ferns 

 among which I had placed it, that it was very difficult to ob- 

 tain a momentary shot in focus, although in the end the result 

 was a highly satisfactory one. During the day it had a list- 

 less, dazed look, and generally kept its eyes partly closed. 

 The only occasion on which I saw it awake from this lethargy 

 was when I brought a live Hawk (Circus gouldi) near to the 

 wire-netting of its enclosure. It did not then manifest any 

 excitement or alarm, but slowly raised itself up to its full 

 height two or three times in succession, with the feathers of 

 the head puffed out and the eyes opened to their full extent, 

 in silent wonderment at so strange an apparition. 



Both birds exhibited the same natural docility. On being 

 taken hold of by the feet they would offer no resistance and 

 utter no sound, but would simply flap their wings slowly, and 

 turn their dark orbs full into the face of their captor, as much 

 as to say, " And, pray, what may this mean? " They ate very 

 sparingly of their food (lean mutton or sliced ox-heart), and 

 always at night. During the time they were in my possession 

 I never heard them emit any sound. 



Mr. Morgan Carkeek, on seeing mine, assured me that he 

 had seen one of these Owls before. It was some years ago, 

 when he was surveying for the Government in the neighbour- 

 hood of Porirua Harbour. On entering an abandoned Maori 

 hut in the day-time he found one "roosting" there. It was 

 very tame, and remained there several days. He brought it 



