66 



hearty laugh, and when one bird starts, any others in the vicinity are 

 sure to join in. It feeds upon insects, reptiles, and small mammals, 

 and its nest is usually built in one of the gum trees for which Aus- 

 tralia, its native country, is famed. 



Cuvier's Podargusf/^ dargus cuvieti), Page 14. ThePodargus, 

 a native of Australia, is also known as the frog-mouth, owing to the 

 immense size of its mouth. It is nocturnal in its habits, and owing 

 to its very deep slumber is by no means difficult to capture. The 

 eggs found in a nest are 3 in number. 



Rose-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua vtoluccensis), Page 15. The 

 Cockatoos are readily distinguished from the parrots, to which they 

 are related, by having an erectile crest of feathers upon their head ; 

 the tongue is also quite devoid of the fringe which is found in the 

 parrots. The Rose-crested Cockatoo, depicted in the photograph, 

 is a native of Moluccas, and, as its name denotes, has a crest of a 

 rose colour. 



OWLS. 



It is by no means a difficult matter to distinguish an Owl from 

 any other bird, owing to its having a distinct physiognomy of its 

 own. The eyes are always large, and placed in a forward direction ; 

 being surrounded by a radiating circle of feathers. The feet are 

 strong and the claws sharp, which serves them to good purpose when 

 seizing their prey. The Eared Owls are so named, from the tu t 

 of feathers above the eyes. Owing to their soft plumage, their 

 flight is quite noiseless. Their food consists of small mammals, such 

 as mice, shrews, rats, etc. the larger species attacking rabbits, 

 hares, and game-birds. Certain species also feed on fish. 



British Barn Owl (Strix flammea), Page 16. The Barn Owl 

 is one of the commonest of the group, and at the same time the most 

 widely distributed. It is entirely nocturnal, hiding in buildings or 

 hollow trees during the day time. The usual number of eggs to be 

 found in a nest varies from 3 to 6. 



African Barn Owl (Strix jlammea), Page 17. This bird varies 

 very little from the British Barn Owl, the chief difference being in 

 the plumage, which is of a darker colour. 



Tawny Owl (Syrnium aluco), Page 18. The Tawny Owl is also 

 known as the Wood Owl, and is still fairly common in Britain. Its 

 cry is the familiar one of " tu-whit, to-who," which can be heard early 

 and late in the day. It lays from 3 to 4 eggs early in the year some- 

 times as early as February. 



Ural Owl (Syrnium uralense), Page 19. The Ural Owl is one of 

 the larger species, measuring about 27^ inches. It is a European 

 bird, but not found in Britain. Certain individuals differ from the 

 rest of their kind in being of a darker and more sooty colour than is 

 usual. Of its habits little is known. It nests in the early part of April. 



Snowy Owl (Nycttascandiaca), Page 20. The Snowy Owl is at 

 once remarkable for its white plumage. It inhabits the Arctic regions, 

 but frequently visits the British Islands, although never breeding 

 there. The eggs are usually from 4 to 7 in number, but occasionally 

 more are found. 



Great Eagle Owl (Bubo maximus). Page 21. This is one of the 

 largest of the group, being 28 inches or more in length. There are a 

 great number of species of eagle owls, the most familiar, however, 



