BOOBOOK OWL. 
Spiloglaux novceseelandioe royana Mathews. 
Norfolk Island. 
This bird is the best instance of the failure of theory in connection with 
this species. Bamsay’s suggestions have all proved valueless, as the bird is 
a mimic almost exactly of the Tasmanian maculata—clelandi. I find that 
Dr. Crowfoot presented a specimen to the British Museum in 1885 and 
it was labelled “ maculata ” and packed away with the Tasmanian specimens. 
In view of the extraordinary difference between this and the preceding, I am 
again observing that probably island forms are very constant and that 
halmaturina will soon be revived. 
It is interesting to note that in the Journ. fur Orn., 1909, Dr. Sassi, 
of Vienna, reported upon a collection of birds made by E. Weiske in North 
Queensland. Criticising these impartially, he recorded one specimen as 
Ninox hoobook Lath. ? and the other as Ninox novcezealandice Gm. ? He 
indicated how alike the specimens were, and suggested that a species very 
close, if not identical with, the New Zealand Owl existed in Australia. He 
also noted the similarity with the maculata—clelandi form. 
From Timor, Savu, etc.. Owls are known resembling the Northern 
Australian form I have called mixta, and these certainly seem only 
subspecies and referable to the present species. 
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