﻿TASMANIA 
  : 
  ORNITHOLOGICALLY 
  CONSIDERED. 
  323 
  

  

  their 
  masters. 
  The 
  natural 
  food 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  consists 
  of 
  

   Marsupials 
  (young 
  Kangaroo, 
  Wallaby, 
  Kangaroo-rats, 
  &c), 
  

   and 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  species 
  of 
  birds. 
  It 
  nests 
  in 
  some 
  lofty 
  

   eucalyptus 
  tree, 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  a 
  high 
  cliff, 
  most 
  frequently 
  

   well 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  reach 
  of 
  any 
  inquisitive 
  oologist. 
  The 
  Bubonidce 
  

   with 
  two 
  species, 
  one 
  a 
  doubtful 
  one, 
  next 
  claim 
  our 
  attention. 
  

   The 
  Boobook 
  Owl 
  (Xinox 
  boobook) 
  is 
  only 
  doubtful, 
  inasmuch 
  

   as 
  I 
  suspect 
  it 
  has 
  really 
  never 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  Tasmania. 
  I 
  

   might 
  explain, 
  that 
  when 
  I 
  use 
  the 
  words 
  "doubtful 
  species" 
  I 
  

   do 
  not 
  mean 
  that 
  the 
  species 
  as 
  a 
  species 
  is 
  doubtful 
  or 
  not 
  a 
  

   well-marked 
  one, 
  but 
  simply 
  that 
  its 
  presence 
  on 
  any 
  list 
  of 
  

   Tasmanian 
  birds 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  for 
  enquiry. 
  But 
  to 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  

   Boobook 
  Owl 
  : 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  met 
  with 
  it, 
  nor 
  have 
  I 
  come 
  across 
  

   anybody 
  who 
  has 
  ; 
  yet 
  its 
  name 
  appears 
  in 
  several 
  lists 
  of 
  

   Australasian 
  birds 
  as 
  having 
  been 
  recorded 
  from 
  Tasmania. 
  

   But 
  too 
  much 
  reliance 
  must 
  not 
  be 
  put 
  on 
  that, 
  as 
  we 
  know 
  of 
  

   many 
  instances 
  of 
  scientific 
  writers 
  copying 
  one 
  another's 
  errors 
  

   for 
  many 
  years. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  reason 
  why 
  this 
  Owl 
  should 
  not 
  

   be 
  found 
  here 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  for 
  that 
  reason 
  I 
  have 
  allowed 
  it 
  to 
  remain 
  

   on 
  my 
  list. 
  

  

  Among 
  the 
  Corrida, 
  the 
  Hill 
  Crow 
  Shrike 
  (Strepera 
  arguta) 
  

   requires 
  notice. 
  This 
  species 
  belongs 
  peculiarly 
  to 
  Tasmania, 
  

   not 
  even 
  being 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  adjacent 
  islands. 
  It 
  was 
  doubt- 
  

   less 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  its 
  fine 
  ringing 
  notes 
  that 
  Gould 
  gave 
  

   it 
  the 
  specific 
  title 
  arguta. 
  The 
  notes 
  "clink, 
  clink," 
  several 
  

   times 
  repeated, 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  reminded 
  him 
  of 
  the 
  distant 
  

   sound 
  of 
  the 
  strokes 
  of 
  a 
  blacksmith's 
  hammer 
  on 
  the 
  anvil. 
  

   On 
  a 
  clear 
  still 
  day 
  the 
  notes 
  can 
  be 
  heard 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  distance. 
  

   It 
  is 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  a 
  common 
  species, 
  nor 
  is 
  it 
  distributed 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  island. 
  The 
  southern 
  portion 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  most 
  

   favoured. 
  The 
  chief 
  point 
  of 
  difference 
  between 
  this 
  species 
  and 
  

   S.fuligi?iosa 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  under 
  tail- 
  coverts 
  are 
  white. 
  

  

  The 
  nest, 
  which 
  is 
  placed 
  in 
  fairly 
  tall 
  eucalyptus, 
  is 
  con- 
  

   structed 
  of 
  sticks 
  and 
  twigs, 
  and 
  lined 
  with 
  rootlets 
  and 
  grass. 
  

  

  Passing 
  on 
  until 
  we 
  come 
  to 
  the 
  Prionojridce, 
  we 
  find 
  the 
  

   Whistling 
  Shrike 
  Thrush 
  (Collyrioeincla 
  rectirostris) 
  , 
  or, 
  as 
  

   it 
  is 
  sometimes 
  called, 
  Selby's 
  Shrike 
  Thrush. 
  This 
  interesting 
  

   species 
  is 
  confined 
  to 
  Tasmania 
  and 
  some 
  of 
  its 
  dependencies 
  

   in 
  Bass 
  Strait. 
  I 
  much 
  regret 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  in 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  

  

  2c 
  2 
  

  

  