160 THE VICTORIAN NATUBALIST. 



usually regarded as mere individual variations of V. undulata ; 

 and though my knowledge of them is limited to the excellent 

 figures accompanying Dr. Cox's descriptions, yet, from my general 

 acquaintance with the genus, recent and fossil, I am well dis- 

 posed to accord them specific rank. 



V. ScLATERi is more angulated posteriorly, and the slope of 

 the spire is less regular, than in V. undulata, apart from 

 the absence of colour. 

 V. KiNGi, another uniformly coloured shell, differs by its 



convex spire whorls. 

 V. AusTRALiiE has too small a puUus, and is too narrow to 

 be the young of V. midulafa, irrespective of the style of 

 colouration, which resembles that of V.fusiformis. 



OOLOGY OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



By a. J. Campbell. 



(Read befoi'C the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoiia, 



ii\t/i y^anuary, 1889. j 



SUPPLEMENT.— PART V. 



30. Strix tenebricosa — (Sooty Owl). Locality — Queensland, 

 New South Wales, and Victoria. Egg — In shape almost round, 

 colour white, surface dead {i.e., devoid of lustre or polish), shell 

 slightly granulated. Length, i inch gf lines ; breadth, i inch 7^ 

 lines. 



This egg was taken at Pimpana, Southern Queensland, by a 

 collector (who also produced the bird) of Mr. A. Coles, our 

 skilful taxidermist. 



37. NiNOX maculata — (Spotted Owl). Locality — South 

 Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and 

 Tasmania. Egg — Nearly round, both ends alike in shape, white, 

 surface slightly polished. Length, i inch 7 lines ; breadth, i 

 inch 4I lines. 



This is the smallest owl in Australia, and I am indebted to our 

 honorary member, Mr. E. D. Atkinson, of Tasmania, for this 

 example. Authenticated eggs of the Boobook Owl, in my own col- 

 lection, are larger than the Spotted by | line on either dimension. 



I learn from Mr. A. II. Brent, who has taken many nests of the 

 Spotted Owl in Tasmania, that a clutch of two eggs is deposited 

 in a hollow tree generally about the first week in November. 

 Eggs have also been taken at Christmas, probably laid by some 

 bird whose eggs had been taken earlier in the season ; but, whether 

 by the same bird or not, the same nesting hollow is often resorted 

 to season after season. Another fact worth recording is the 

 curious method whereby the birds store dead mice about the 



