NINOX. 



305 



Synopsis of B.rds," and of Falco counivcus, in ins " Index Ornithulo^.cus," 1 are founded on a 

 picture of Wathng's now in tiie Jiritisli Museum, and tiiis is tlierefore the type of .\7wv u<umirns. 

 On the preceding but one pa-e ; Dr. Sharpe, referring to this volume of paintin-s writes •- 

 " These drawings had evidently been shown to Latham, who named most of the birds, and seems 

 to have referred to these pictures as ' Mr. Lambert's Drawings." They do not seem, however, 

 to havs been Lambert's property at any t,me. The type of Latham's species are, in fact 

 founded on these drawings of Watiing." We have proof, however, that Lambert had at one 

 tmie m Ins possession either this volume or a duplicate one, for Gould, in writm- of Ninox 

 connnrns in his " Handbook to the Birds of Australia,"; remarks :-'' It will be seen on reference 

 to the synonyms, that I described this bird in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society ' under 

 the specihc name oifortis- but 1 have since ascertained through the kindness of the late Earl of 

 Derby, in aftording me the use and inspection of the three volumes of drawings of Australian 

 Birds, formerly in the possession of the late A. B. Lambert, Esq., that it is identical with the 

 Winking Owl of Latham; any seeming inattention on my part in describing an apparently 

 new Owl, without consulting tliat author, will, I hope, be readily excused, as few ornithologists 

 would think ot looking for the description of this bird under the genus Falco. 



" It is due to the acumen of the late Mr. Strickland that, by means of the drawings above 

 alluded to, the present and other species described by Latham have been identified. . . .; 

 unfortunately I did not obtain the loan of these drawings until my work was far advanced] 

 otherwise the errors I now correct would not have occurred." 



Mr. W. B. Barnard, writing from Coomooboolaroo, Duaringa, Oueensland, on the loth 

 March, iSgi, remarks:-" With regard to the Winking Owl (Niuox connivcus) v,e did find a 

 nest once with young ones about half grown ; the old birds became savage, and kept 

 flying at my brother, who was up the tree, but never struck him. The nesting place was 

 about eighteen inches down a hole in a big Gum-tree : this tree was blown down by the 

 terrific cyclone that visited us last year. What became of the old birds I do not know but 

 probably they were killed by the hail, which destroyed so many buds in this district at that 



time 



Mr. H. G. Barnard sends me the following notes from Bimbi, Duaringa, Oueensland-- 

 " During igofa I took three sets of Ninox couuivcus eggs, but there were only tNvo'eggs in each 

 set. Again in 1907 I took three sets, one of which contained three eggs, the others two each 

 In lyos I only took one set, which contained three eggs. The eggs are deposited on the soft 

 dirt at the bottom of a hollow in a tree, the depth of the holes varying from one foot to three feet 

 While the female IS sitting the male resides in the branches of a tree close to the one which 

 contains the nest ; upon an intruder approaching the spot he utters a loud muttered growl thus 

 drawing ones attention to him. On looking around a tree may be observed with a hollow s'pout 

 and upon hitting the butt with a stick or the back of a tomahawk, the other bird will leave the 

 hole, thus shewing the whereabouts of the nesting-place. The food of these Owls consists of 

 small animals, such as Flying Squirrels, Brush-tailed Rats, etc., and birds. My brother Mr C 

 A. Barnard, lately saw one with the half-eaten body of a Podar^n, strif^oides. The breedin- 

 months are September and October." ^ 



Writing me from Cullenbone, Mudgee, New South Wales, on the 22nd May, 1907 the late 

 Mr. J. C.Cox remarked:-" A strange night bird has made an appearance in this neighbourhood for 

 about a couple ot months, and its cries have puzzled those who have heard it. It was thou-ht 

 at first to be a fox barking. The cry is very like a dog barking, so much so that it starts the 

 dogs. It IS not the bark of a common dog, but more like that of a Newfoundland or St. Bernard 

 The bir d repeats ,t twice at intervals in a bass tone, 'ouf, out.' When the birds are in pairs 



* Gen. Syn, Suppl. II., p. ssTTl^Zorn:, Suppl., p. XH. rHi^ColI BriT Mu.s. Bds., ^ 10^ 

 S Handbk Bds Aiistr , Vol f.. p. 72 (iSiij). 

 77 



