NiNox. 17 



distinct or nearly obsolete pale bars on the inner web. Scapulars 

 brown, with one or two large white median spots or bars on one or 

 both webs. Quills externally washed with greyish-brown, the 

 outer webs with broad obscure subrufous cross-bars ; the inner 

 webs with a few obscure transverse bars, the inner ends of those 

 near the base forming a white spot. Wing-coverts uniform 

 browai, a little brighter than on the head. Lores and cheeks 

 anteriorly white, the plumes with black shafts ; hinder part of 

 cheeks aud ear-coverts brown like the head ; a supraciliary stripe 

 over the fore part of the orbit, white more or less stained with 

 buff. Chin whitish, its median hinder feathers with brown shaft 

 streaks, the laterals buff with brown centres, these forming a line 

 behind the ear-coverts. Throat rufous-brown, obscurely spotted 

 or streaked with buffy-white. Breast and abdomen deep rufous- 

 brown, largely spotted with white. Under tail-coverts with a 

 median spot on both webs, and the tips brown or buffy-brown, 

 with one or two wdiite median spots. Under surface of tail pale 

 brown with four or five more or less obsolete transverse bars. 

 Axillaries rufous or ochreous. Under wing-coverts rufous, edge 

 of wing buffy-white or white. Under surface of wing silky- 

 brown with the transverse bars of the quills in strong contrast. 

 Legs rufous. Bill white, blackish below the nostrils. Mandible 

 blue-black, yellow at the base. Total length 290, wing 225, tail 

 137, tarsus 88." 



'' Adult female. Like the male, but with the throat and upper 

 breast rich chocolate brow^n with fulvous stripes. The tail uni- 

 form brown above and below, the quills narrowly edged with 

 buffy-grey, and the bill black except the basal half of the culmen." 



" Loc. Herbert Gorge, Bellenden-Ker."* 



[^Ninox connivenif, and iV. boobook, are each beautifully repre- 

 sented in the north-eastern and the north-western portions of 

 the continent, by closely allied, but distinct species. The former 

 respectively by iV. ijeninsidaris, and N. occidentalis ; the latter 

 by N. lurida, and N. ocelhda. Mr. De Vis has been good enough 

 to send me on loan for examination a female specimen of N. lurida. 

 This diminutive representative of JSf. boobook, in the tropical 

 scrubs and mountain ranges of North-eastern Queensland is 

 in contradistinction to its northern and north-western ally, iV. 

 ocellata, distinguished by the intensely rich colouring of its 

 plumage. This is more apparent on the throat, upper portion 

 of the breast, axillaries, and under wing-coverts. Total length 

 11 inches, wing 8o, tail 5, tarsus 1-4. Locality, Mulgrave Eiver.] 



Habitat. Bellenden-Ker, Sea Yiew Range, Cardwell. (De 

 Vis.) 



• De Vis, Rep. Sci. Exped. N.E. Queensland, p. 31 (1889). 

 H 



