It>4 Macgillivkav, No/fi on Some N. (Jueensland Birds. \^^J''"\",„, 



a most peculiar call about ii p.m. in the timber about 200 yards 

 from the camp, so strolled out to investigate, and found it was 

 uttered by a bird perched on a dry tree. It proved to be a Winking 

 Owl. The call, as near as I can give it, was ' Karr, karr, karr, karr, 

 koowook.' The stomach contained a half-digested bat and some 

 grasshoppers." 



" 14th June, 1910. — Heard call like that of a Wood-Duck again 

 last night ; located the bii-d, and foinid it to be a Winking Owl." 



" 29th June, 1910. — On Leichhardt River, 20 miles beyond 

 Augustus Downs, heard Winking Owls calling through the night. At 

 dusk the call is " Hoo, wuk, wuk," and later on through the night 

 " Karr, karr," and another call, " Chirr, chirr," in a very high key. 

 They were heard for the last time where the Gregory divides into 

 two channels, about 20 miles from Burketown. Skins of this bird 

 were submitted to Mr. North, of the .\ustralian [Museum, who pro- 

 nounced them to be indistinguishable from specimens of A'', connivens 

 obtained in New South Wales. Mr. Mathews considers them to be 

 identical with the Northern Territoiy birds. 



The breeding season is in the spring months. 



Ninox peninsularis. Cape York Owl. — This species is very distinct, 

 being shorter and darker in colour than the preceding. When camped 

 in the scrub at Cape York Mr. M'Lennan made the following note : — • 

 20th December, 1910. — " Ninox peninsulans came along again 

 to-night, and when I imitated its call it became wild and flew at 

 me several times, coming to within 18 inches of my head. This 

 occurred on several nights. The call was a repeated ' Kow, kow.' 

 This assumed quite a comical aspect when the bird, pcxxhed on the 

 ridge of my tent, looked down at me with an angry expression and 

 uttered the word ' Kow.' " 



The first nest containing eggs was found on the 6th August, 191 1, 

 at Lockerbie. From then the nesting season extended until the 

 end of September. In this time fifteen nests were examined, 

 containing either eggs or young. These nests were in large, open 

 hollows, usually in big tea-trees {Melaleuca) at an average height of 

 about 40 feet from the ground. The hollows averaged in depth 

 about 2 feet, and were of an avei-age diameter of about a foot. Many 

 were bedded with a good layer of fmely-chipped rotten wood. The 

 mate of the sitting bird was usually found roosting in the branches 

 of the same tree, or one near by. The clutch consisted of two eggs — 

 in one instance only were three young birds found in a hollow. These 

 were at different stages of growth. The youngest seemed to be about 

 four days old, the next six. and the oldest about eight. The oldest 

 one had a few feathers showing, eyes Avidely open ; bill black, cere 

 yellowish-green ; legs and feet greenish-white. The smallest was 

 covered with white down and had its eyes only slightly open. The 

 bottom of this hollow was covered with the remains of Fruit-Pigeons. 

 One hollow found in possession of a pair of Owls had evidently been 

 the subject of a dispute, as it contained a broken egg of the Owl and 

 a broken egg-shell of a Little White Cockatoo. Mr. M'Lennan 

 had previously seen the Little White Cockatoos about the hollow, 

 but the Owls were the ultimate possessors. That they were able to 

 dispossess more formidable antagonists was shown in one case where 

 their eggs were found in the freshly-lined hollow of Microglossus 

 aterrimus. On two occasions Little White Cockatoos had their 

 nesting-hollow in the same tree as a pair of Owls. 



