STRIGIFOEMES. 
Australia and Moluccas. Hiemcoglaux occurs in New Guinea as well as 
Australia, but goes all over Australia, save Tasmania. 
Gould’s Athene ? strenua is quite unlike any other Owl, its huge size and 
coloration being remarkable, and it is confined to East Australia. Its 
relations are quite unknown to me. Almost as peculiar is the other great 
Owl, Rhabdoglaux, which occurs in New Guinea and North Australia alone. 
Its ancestry is just as uncertain. 
The above Owls are classed in the family Strigidce, chiefly because so 
little is known of their anatomy, and the skins of the more peculiar kinds 
are by no means common. 
In the restricted family Tytonidce, however, even more interest is seen, 
as in addition to the Barn Owl, the Grass Owl has reached Australia, but is 
a rare and sparsely distributed bird. The common “ Barn Owl ” of New 
Holland is, however, a distinct species, which extends all over Australia and 
Tasmania and into the islands. This suggests a descent from the Barn Owl, 
and indicates the earliest migration, supposed from the study of the Falconi- 
form birds, the Barn Owl proper belonging to the second, and the Grass Owl 
to the last. However, this leaves Megastrix, a peculiar form, restricted to New 
Guinea and Eastern Australia as far south as Victoria, and the route of 
evolution of this form is another problem. 
I conclude that close anatomical study is necessary before such problems 
as the above can be solved. 
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