76 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



barred with light reddish brown, the spaces between the bars 

 becoming buffy w^hite on the under surface ; breast and all 

 the under surface rufous, irregularly blotched with white, 

 which predominates on the abdomen ; thighs deep tawny 

 buff; irides light brown in some, greenish brown inclining to 

 yellow in others ; cere bluish grey ; feet lead-colour. 



Sp. 37. SPILOGLAUX MACULATUS. 



Spotted Owl. 



Noctua maculata, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 189. 

 Sjnloglaux maculatus, Kaup, Monog. Strig. in Jard. Cont. to Orn., 

 1852, p. 108. 



Athene maculata, Gould,' Birds of Australia, fol. vol. i. pi. 33. 



This species is very generally distributed over Tasmania ; 

 it also inhabits South Australia and New South Wales, but 

 in far less numbers. It generally takes up its abode in the 

 thickly-foliaged trees of the woods and gullies, usually 

 selecting those that are most shielded from the heat and 

 light of the sun, spending, like the diurnal species, the entire 

 day in a state of drowsiness, from which, however, it can be 

 easily aroused. Its visual powers are sufficiently strong to 

 enable it to face the light, and even to hunt for its food in 

 the daytime. Like other members of the genus, it preys 

 chiefly upon small birds and insects, which, from the more 

 than ordinary rapidity of its movements, are captured with 

 great facility. 



The sexes are precisely alike in colour, and differ but little 

 in size ; the female is, however, the largest. 



The drawing in the folio edition was made from a pan* of 

 living examples which I kept for some time during my stay at 

 Hobart Town, and which bore confinement so contentedly, 

 that had an opportunity presented itself I might easily have 

 sent them alive to England. 



Facial disk white, each of the feathers immediately above 



