310 siiiii:ii>a:. 



Accordinj,' to the followin.i,' note there appears to hi' nothing in its habits and food to 

 distinguish it from the better known Niiiox lYuiiitviiis of Ivastern and Southern Austraha. 



Air. G. A. Keartland writes me as follows from Melbourne, \'ictoria: — "The Western 

 Winking (^\\'\ CNiiirx niiidfiitijlis) is usually seen in pairs in the hushes or thick scrub on the 

 margin of the rivers and streams of Nortii-western Austraha. Although nocturnal birds they 

 appear to see well in the brightest sunlight. I shot one of a pair near the Fitzruy Iviver, and 

 had to chase its mate from tree to tree for soine time before securing it. It appeared to see me 

 quite well enough to make its escape before I got within shooting distance, and was only secured 

 by strategy. They feed on small animals, birds, li/ards, insects and frogs. I never heard them 

 utter a note of any kind." 



A set ot two eggs taken on the 24th September, 190J, in the Northern Territory of South 

 Australia, are a rounded oval in form, pure white, the shell, although comparatively smooth and 

 having here and there a few limy excrescences, being slightly lustrous, and indistinguishable 

 from the eggs of Niuox iniiiiivi-iis. Length (A) I'.Si x f57 inches ; (1!) fji x i'57 inches. A 

 skin of the parent accompanied these eggs. 



Family STRIGID^. 

 Strix delicatula. 



HELICATK OWL. 



S/n.r '/e/ii-a/i,his, (iould, I'roc. /ool. Soc, 18:3(i, p. 1 tO ; /-/., Bds. .\iistr., fol. Vol. 1., pi. .'ll (If^-t.N); 



/'/, Gould, Haiidl)k. Bds. Austr., Vol. I., p lid (ISG.'i). 

 Sirix il,/lca(}i/a, iihurpe, Cat. I",ils. Hrit. .Mus., Vol. Il.,p •JtiT ( 1 s?')) ; i,l , Hand I. I'.ds , Vol. I., 



p. .-^Ol (IS'.lit). 



Adi'M' malk. — llfifi-iil i-i:hinr ahiiri' liijlil itslii/-r/i-t'i/ intit iiiiiiierouK Jii'nil tig-.ag lines, mryiiu/ 

 Jroiii (/fri/ixli-lir<i/«-i/ iin Ihf lutihj to a dcdver brown or (J<irk lirnini an the iviiuj); and ticapidarx, tin: 

 basal jiortion nf nnjsf of l}n> fiallnrs ])(ilf. bufl, passinc/ infn lii/ht <irnnr/r-bnjf' un l/n' scai>nlars and 

 upper wlng-corerls, nnd hatini/ a iiarrow bhirkis/i inraiid strrid- nfiir the tip, etielosiny n central streak 

 nf n^h.he, these, markings being less distinct an lite crnn-n, nape and hi ml nexk ; quills more distinctly 

 marked wit/i '.ig-'.eig lines, and haeing the reinnms of a Jen- ilrirk tinnrn crossdiars, all of them more 

 or less icashed n-itli ornngedtnj/, in some spiximrns the latter is tin- predominant colour of the <juills ; 

 margins of their inner ?vebs irJiite, increasing in extent ton-ards the outer secondaries : edge of the 

 loing pare n'liite ; tail-feathers vary from pale to ric/i bnjf irilli liron-nisli cross-bars, the interspaces 

 more or less freckled mith brown, the apical portion ihdl n-liitish freckled nnfit greyish-bronm, the inner 

 webs of all but the central pair maruineil ivith inhite, t/n' outermost on either side, except the brou'U 

 cross-bars, almost pure tr/iite on. both n^ebs : facial </isc ivhite, surrounded by a ru-Jfnf n_^liite feathers, 

 their exposed tips being cream;/ bnjf lielon: and rich rufous-hnff idiore, and idl more or less tipped or 

 edged with blai'k ; a patch (f feathers iii front (f the eye dnsky-rufous ; all the nitder surface and 

 under inng-corerfs pan- white, most of t/ie, feathers more or less flecked irith blackish-bron-ii, iiear the 

 tip : under tail-coverts /nire white : basal portion of bill rerij pale bluish colour, the apical portion 

 ivhilislidiorn colour ; feil yelloirislb-irliile : iris black. Total leitigtli in the jlesh !..'■■'> inches, wing 

 JO-75 tail r>, exposed portion of bill O'S, fars7is 2-35. 



Adult kem.xle. — Similar vn plumage to tlie male. 



Distribution. — North-western Australia, Northern Territory of South Australia, Queensland, 

 New South Wales, X'ictoria, South .Vustralia, Central .\ustralia. Western Australia, Southern 

 New Guinea. 



