154 Frederick D. Welch—Voices of some Owls



September : “ A collection of kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, black

swans, native companions, Tasmanian devils, emus, many kinds of

parrots, and two splendid specimens of Papuan birds of paradise,

were boused on the deck of the White Star liner Medic, which left

for England to-day. The collection ivas accompanied by an expert.

It constitutes the first consignment by the Australian Zoological

Control Board to its depot in London before sale to or exchange with

other European zoological societies.” The collection should reach

London about the first week in November, and it is probable that most

of the stock will be temporarily housed in the Zoological Gardens.


The Contents of the Collection. —Since the above was written

further information has come to hand of the contents of the collection,

and it would appear to be the finest single collection that has ever come

from the Antipodes, for, besides some hundred and fifty mammals,

such as kangaroos, wombats, and bandicoots, there are no less than some

twelve hundred birds from Australia and Papua. Amongst these may

be mentioned twenty-five Birds of Paradise, comprising the Magnificent,

Six-wired, and Count Raggi’s, fourteen Eagles, seventy Fruit Pigeons,

two hundred and fifty Parrakeets, twenty-five Black Swans, ten

Laughing Kingfishers, eight hundred Finches, and many others. It

is unfortunate that this wonderful collection should be arriving at the

beginning of the winter, but at the same time birds purchased then will

have a chance of becoming established before the next breeding season.


D. S-S.



VOICES OF SOME OWLS, AND REMARKS ON

COLORATION


By Frederick D. Welch


One of the most interesting birds I ever knew was a Pel’s Owl

(Scotopelia peli), a large species of African Fish Owl, about 23 inches

long, of rufous-bay in general colour, with transverse black bars, and

spotted on breast and abdomen with black. The iris in this individual

was dark brown ; and it frequently uttered a long-drawn-out voice

rather like “ teroo-o-o-o-o ”, and became very tame with me. The

range of species is from Senegambia to Gaboon and Zambesi area, there



