104 



An AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOlS. 



ORDER XVIII. — CORACIIFORMES, PICARIAN BIRDS. 



F. 78. Steatornithidae, Oil-Bird, Guacharo, 1 sp. Nl. 



F. 79. PODARGIDAE (6), FROGMOUTHS, 32 sp.— 20(20) A , 



12(12)0. 



4 217 Tawny Frogmouth (Tawny-shouldered), Mopoke (e), 



7 Podargus strigoides, A.T. Stat. c. open forest 18 



Upper brown freckled grayish-white and darker-brown; 



wings lighter, spotted black and buff; tawny patch on 



wing; tail tawny-brown barred blackish-brown; wide 



bill brown; nocturnal; f., sim. Insects. 'Oom, oom." 



2 218 Owlet Nightjar (Little), Banded Goatsucker (e), 



13 Moth Owl (e), ^gotheles novae-hollandiae, A., T. 



Stat. r. thivber 8.5 

 Blackish-gray; tail faintly banded; obscure collar; short, 

 wide bill; bristles round bill; nocturnal; f., sim. In- 

 sects, mosquitoes, moths. 

 F. 80. Leptosomatidae, Kirombos, Madagascar Rollers, 2 sp. E. 



Australia is well represented in Order XVIII. — Picarian Birds. 

 The Tawny Frogmouth is one of "the most peculiar," and is the 

 "ugliest of birds." On account of its wide mouth, it is called the 

 Frogmouth, and on account of the confusion connecting it with 

 the Boobook Owl, which calls "Mopoke," this bird is also called 

 the "Mopoke" (see p. 85). It so closely mimics a broken branch 

 during the day that it is seldom seen, though it is fairly common. 



Gould bears eloquent testimony to the value of Australian birds 



