170 liUBONIDj;. 



feathers, to the inner web ; forehead and sides of head fulvous, with 

 central brown streaks to the feathers ; lores whitisli, with hair-like 

 black shaft-lines ; ear-coverts brown ; cheeks fulvous, narrowly 

 streaked with brown ; chin dull white ; rest of under surface fulvous, 

 the centres of the feathers pale brown, giving a broadly streaked 

 appearance, the lateral margins to the feathers of the abdomen 

 whiter, the central streaks indented with largo white spots, causing 

 the flanks to appear somewhat occUated ; leg-feathers ochraceous ; 

 under wing-coverts w^hitish, mesially streaked with brown, widening 

 out towards the tips of the feathers ; under wing-coverts deep ochra- 

 ceous, streaked with brown, especially near the outer edge of the 

 wing, the greater series dark brown, barred with white Hke the 

 inner lining of the quills, which are dark brown below, Math broad 

 buffy white bars on the inner web ; cere bluish grey ; bill horn- 

 colour ; feet yellow; iris light brown in some, greenish brown (in- 

 clining to yellow) in other examples. Total length IG inches, wing 

 10-3, taU 6-7, tarsus 1-75. 



Obs. After comparing our large series of specimens in the Museum, 

 I have come to the conclusion that the Owl called Athene marmorata 

 hy Mr. Gould is only the adult of the largo form of iV. hoohoolc, which 

 is more uniform when young, and becomes more spotted as it gets 

 adult. This large N. boohooJc appears to be an inhabitant of South 

 Australia, and is replaced in the north and west by a smaller race 

 or subspecies, which is generally more rufous in colour, having the 

 head streaked with fulvous ; the hiud neck also appears never to 

 become so spotted as in N. hoobook. 



Hub. South Australia. 



a. A'ix ad. sk. South Australia. C. D. E. Fortnum, Esq. [P.]. 



b. Vix ad. sk. South xVustralia. Sir George Grey [P-]. 



c. Ad. st. South Australia. Sir George Grey [P.]. 



d. Juv. sk. South Australia. Sir George Grev [P.]. 



e. Ad. sk. River Darling, Sept. 1844. Captain Sturt [P.]. "Iris 



yellow." 

 /. c? vix ad. st. Percy Island. 



(/. Ad. st. Australia. A. Cunningham, Esq. [P.]. 



h. Pull. St. Australia. 



i. Ad. sk. Australia. Purchased. 



k. Ad. sk. Queensland. Purchased. 



Subsp. a. Ninox ocellata*. 



Athene ocellata, Hombr. i^ Jacq. Voy. Pole Sud, Zool. iii. p. 51, pi. 3. 



fig. 2 ; £p. Consp. i. p. 42 ; Strickl. Orn. Syn. p. 174 ; Gray, Hand-l. 



B. i. p. 42. 

 Spiloglaux ocellata, Bp. Rev. et 3Iag. de Zool. 1854, p. 544. 

 Ninox ocellata, Shari^e, Ibis, 1875, p. 258. 



Nestling. Clothed in whitish down, washed with golden buff on 

 the head, neck, and breast ; the feathers, as far as developed, re- 

 sembling the plumage of the adult, but the white spots on the 

 scapulars extremely large and of an oval shape on both webs ; head 



* I have examined the type in the Paris Museum, and am satisfied tliat it is 

 Australian, and never came from " Chili." 



