THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 32 1 



founded with a hawk, which it somewhat resembles. It is 

 found about the snow line of the New Zealand Alps, and is 

 consequentl.7 quite hard}', yet in the "Zoo" it is placed in the 

 parrot house, where the temperature is usually 80 or 90 

 degrees Fahrenheit. A bit of meat, raw, is ostentatiously 

 hung up in its cage, but is never touched by the bird, 

 which seems to live chiell}^ on maize. 



A very similar species was found in an island, known by 

 the name of Philip Island, that lies between Australia and 

 New Zealand, but it is now believed to be extinct, as the 

 kea and ka-ka pairots certainly soon will be. 



New Guinea contains .some of the most remarkable 

 examples of the great parrot race to be met with anywhere, 

 namely, pigmies fashioned after the true parrot t3'pe, but 

 some of them so small as to be less than 2 inches in length, 

 or smaller than a European wren. Several of them are 

 figured in Gould's " Birds of New Guinea," and are certainly 

 miniature parrots, and the prettiest feathered gems it is 

 possible to imagine. 



Needless to sa.y, none of these tiny creatures have so far 

 been imported, and, as they are believed to subsist 

 wholly on the nectar of flowers, it is doubtful if they will 

 ever be seen alive in Enirland. 



THE OWLS 



Are represented in Australasia hy the following, among 

 others. 



Family — Strigidce. 

 Genus — 

 1. Strix. S. delicatula. Australian Barn Owl. 



5. nov(.G hollandm. Masked Barn Owl. 



X 



