THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
it on the precipitous sides of the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range ; in 
all such situations the silence of night is frequently broken by its hoarse loud 
mournful note, which more resembles the bleating of an ox than any other 
sound I can compare it to. During the day it reposes under the canopy 
of the thickest trees, from which, however, it is readily roused, when it glides 
down the gulleys with remarkable swiftness : the manner in which so large 
a bird threads the trees while flying with such velocity is indeed truly 
astonishing. Its food consists of birds and quadrupeds, of which the brushes 
furnish a plentiful supply. In the stomach of one I dissected in the 
Liverpool range were the remains of a bird and numerous green seed-like 
berries, resembling small peas ; whether the latter had formed the contents 
of the stomach of a bird or quadruped which the Owl had devoured, or had 
been eaten by the Owl itself, I could not satisfactorily ascertain. The bill 
of this species stands out from the face very prominently ; it has also a 
smaller head and more diminutive eyes than the Hieracoglaux connivens, 
although it is a much larger bird.’’ 
Broadbent, writing on the birds of the Chinchilla district, Queensland, 
stated : “ There were a pair of these large owls which frequented the neigh- 
bourhood of my camp, especially when the nights were darkest. They 
uttered a cry of morepork, but the sound was deeper and more voluminous 
than that used by the Boobook owl. The male bird when shot had an 
opossum, of which the head had been eaten off, in its claws.” 
C. A. Barnard in the Emu, Vol. VII., p. 187, 1908, wrote: “When 
walking along the edge of a scrub some months ago, about mid-day, a 
Winking Owl (Ninox connivens) flapped out of the branches of a scrub oak 
just over my head and dropped a half-eaten Podargus almost at my feet. 
I have frequently noticed this habit of the Owls of keeping their night- 
killed prey with them in their daytime roosting-places. Flying squirrels 
seem to be their favourite meal, but I have flushed them, at various times 
in the day, carrying half-eaten ring-tailed opossums, and once a flying fox : 
the latter, by the way, was the capture of a Powerful Owl {N. strenua)P 
Campbell writes : “ The last Powerful Owl I had an opportunity of 
examining in the flesh was shot by Mr. A. W. Milligan at one of our camp- 
outs near Lilydale. The birds are frequently met with in the ranges there- 
abouts, and have been known to ‘ pick ofl ’ Lyre Birds roosting at night in 
the tall white gums. The sudden hideous scream of this great Owl is very 
alarming, especially when, flying swiftly through the forest, it breaks the 
midnight silence. Even sturdy bushmen quail, while aboriginals dread it 
as an evil spirit ; but to the naturalist the scream is sweet music, albeit 
but rude and weird. 
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