THE CHESTNUT-FACED OWL 



193 



Family Strigidce. Barn Owls. 

 The Barn Owls are all strictly nocturnal and mostly silent 

 birds, which prefer rats and mice, marsupial or otherwise, for 

 their regular diet. The plumage is variable, and differs with 

 age and probably also season and environment. The facial disc 

 is more eonspicuoiisly developed than in the Bubonidce. They, 

 except S. Candida, breed in holes in gum-trees, and lay from two 

 to four Avhite eggs. The females are larger than the males. 



Delicate Owl: Strix delicatula. 



Technological Museum, Sydney. 

 Masked Owl : Strix castanops. 



The Chestnut-faced Owl. 



Strix novce-liollandice. 



Australia, New Caledonia, Loyalty. 



Above golden, buff, mottled with black and white, or greyish black, 

 spotted with white; tail crossed with six darker bands; under surface 

 white or orange-buff, spotted with brown; facial disc purplish but 

 margined with deep brown spots. Length of male 1.5 inches, of female 

 18 inches. 



