OF VICTORIA. 149 



TAWNY FROGMOUTH 



(Morepork), 



Podargiis strigoides, Lath. 



Po-ddr gus strig-oid-es. 

 Pcdar, swift-footed ; strix, a screech-owl ; etdos, like. 



PoDARGUs HUMERALis, Gould, "Birds of Australia," fol., vol. ii., 



pi. 3. 



Geographical Distribution.— All over Australia and Tasmania. 



Key to the Species. — General plumage tawny, streaked and 

 blotched, the male being smaller and much more lightly marked 

 than the female ; gape very wide ; mouth very much split ; 

 nostrils a narrow split near the base of the bill, protected by a 

 membrane and hidden by plumes of feathers ; tarsus shorter 

 than middle toe ; rectrices pointed. Tail distinctly less than 

 10 inches ; wing more than 9 inches. 



Practically speaking this bird is weak-footed rather than 

 swift-footed as its generic name implies. What was probably 

 meant is swift-winged and noiseless. Being nocturnal, it has 

 a delicate plumage, assuring for it, as it does for the Owl, 

 noiseless flight. In popular opinion it holds what is due to 

 the Boobook Owl, in the power of saying " more-pork " or 

 " boo-book," according to your translation of it ; but it has 

 been proved beyond a doubt that the Owl, and not the 

 Frogmouth, says " more-pork." A friend of mine caught 

 one, and, releasing it in the evening, it flew to a tree, and 

 immediately offered up thanks by saying "more-pork" 

 twice. Its call is a feeble and unattractive one, except to 

 its own kin. " Oom, com, oom," repeated about a dozen 

 times, is a simple description. Of the four Australian 

 species we have one in our colony, but that one is now a 

 thoroughly federated one, being found throughout Aus- 

 tralia and Tasmania. Until recently it was not known to 



