302 HUIiONID^. 



the breast and tianks. The type of the present species was originally described by Messrs. 

 Vigors and Horsfield in the "Transactions of the Linnean Society," ■' in 1827, but the locality 

 where the specimen was obtained is nut recorded. It tnay have been procured by Mr. Caley, 

 in the neighbouihood of Parramatta, near Sydney, who formed the greater part of the collection 

 in the Linnean Society, and to whom Messrs. \'igors and Horsfield refer as follows: — " We are 

 indebted for much of this \aluable information to Mr. Caley, who collected the greater part of 

 the New Holland birds belonging to the Society, and who kindly allowed us to make use of his 

 original notes on these birds made during his residence in the colony. We haxealso to express 

 a similar acknowledgment to Mr. Brown, who in his general zeal for science did not neglect the 

 interests of zoology while devoting himself to the advancement of his favourite study." Although 

 this species has been recorded as occurring in Southern ( Uieensland and New South Wales, I 

 have never met with it in a state of nature in any part of either State. That it must be extremely 

 rare in New South Wales is evidenced by the fact that no specimen of it has been received by 

 the Trustees of the Australian Museum during the period of twenty-five years I ha\'e been 

 connected with the Institution. Of three localised Australian specimens in the collection, one 

 presented by Col. Dr. k. E. Koth was caught ofi' Ciabo Island, \"ictoria, in April, 1S85, presumably 

 on ship-board ; another was received from Mr. Hinder, of Petersham, in 187S, and a third 

 presented by M. Leon Jaubert was procured by him at North Shore, in October, 1886; both 

 of the latter localities are suburbs of Sydney. I'rom Tasmania there are specimens collected by 

 Mr. K. Broadbent in the L)ogwood Gullies, near Launceston, in 1878. Mr. G. A. Heartland 

 informs me that although he shot one of these birds in the Dandenong Ranges, \'ictoria, it can 

 usually see sufficiently well in bright sunlight to give a wide berth to anyone approaching it, 

 and that he has met with it during the I'ield Naturalists Club of \'ictoria's outings on sotne of 

 the larger islands of I5ass Strait. 



While resident at Circular Head, on the north-west coast of Tasmania, r)r. Lonsdale Holden 

 wrote as follows : — "In |une, 1886, some children brought me a live Niiiox tiuicnlata. It had 

 been knocked down by a carter with his whip, in thick scrub on Circular Head Peninsula. In 

 the following month I saw one in dense scrub at Circular Head ; it took only short flights, from 

 bush to bush, when disturbed, and I chased it for some time, always re-discovering it by the 

 cries of some small birds, which were mobbing it. In August, 1886, a much mutilated specimen 

 was brought me by children, and in the following month I saw another bird of this species among 

 close and lofty Tea-tree, on a hill side near Sister's Creek. It was dazed by the light, and 

 allowed of close observation and approach. When at last I put it to flight it llew almost into 

 the beard of my companion, a black bush that would attract any Owl. On the 22nd April, 

 1887, I caught one that flew into a room at Montagu, in the early morning. It was ' hawking' 

 for food in the morning twilight in the verandah, and flew in by the door, which I left open on 

 leaving the house. On the nth Septetnber, 1887, I saw one in the Tea-tree scrub of Half Moon 

 Bay fly into an old opossum's nest, in which was a skull of a rodent and other debris, like the 

 remains of an Owl nursery. Two days later I observed one in Tea-tree, near a water-hole, and 

 watched it with a lield-glass at close quarters. The white half moon above each eye is very 

 conspicuous, and contrasts with the pure brown of the orbit. It was asleep in a rather scantily 

 foliaged tree, with the bright sun shining on it. On the 29th July, 1888, I flushed two 

 from a cave on the western side of Sister's Beach." 



While resident at Bellerive, near Hobart, in South-eastern Tasmania, l'>r. Holden wrote: — 

 "Two young Spotted Owls were brought to me by a boy on the 13th December, 1897. They 

 were just getting their wing feathers, which were about half grown. The boy said the nesting- 

 place was in a hole of a dead tree, about twelve feet frotn the ground, near his home, and the 

 tree was cut down to get the young ones. On the 12th February, 1905, I saw three young birds 



• Trans. Linn, Soc. N. S. Wales, Vol. XV,, p. 176 (1827). 



