RAPTORES. 67 



I observed it in almost every part of New South Wales that 

 I visited ; it is a common bird in South Australia, and I have 

 also seen specimens from PortEssington. It has not yet been 

 found in the colony of Swan River, nor can it be included in 

 the fauna of Tasmania. Although good specific differences 

 are found to exist, it is very nearly allied to the Barn Owl 

 {Strix jlmnmed) of our own island, and the B. javanica of 

 India, and, as might be naturally expected, the habits, actions, 

 and general economy of the three species are as similar as is 

 their outward appearance : mice and other small mammals, 

 which are very numerous in Australia, are preyed upon as its 

 natural food. To attempt a description of its noiseless flight, its 

 mode of capturing its prey, or of its general habits, would be 

 merely to repeat what has been so often and so ably written 

 relative to the Barn Owl of Europe. 



Although the plumage of youth and that of maturity do 

 not differ so widely in this species as in the other Austra- 

 lian members of the genus, the fully adult bird may always be 

 distinguished by the spotless and snowy whiteness of the 

 breast, and by the lighter colouring of the upper surface. 



Facial disk white, margined with buff ; upper surface light 

 greyish brown tinged with yellow, very thickly and delicately 

 pencilled with spots of brownish black and white ; wings pale 

 buff lightly barred with pale brown, marked along the outer 

 edge and extremities with zigzag pencillings of the same, each 

 primary having a terminal spot of white ; tail resembles the 

 primaries, except that the terminal white spot is indistinct, 

 and the outer feathers are almost white ; under surface white, 

 sparingly marked about the chest and flanks with small 

 brownish dots ; legs and thighs white ; biU horn-colour ; feet 

 yellowish. 



Total length, 14 inches ; bill, Ij; wing, 11; tail, 4; tarsi, 2^. 



Mr. Gurney informs me that this species is also found in 

 New Caledonia, and in Aniteum, one of the New Hebrides. 



¥ 2 



