THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Practically speaking, little has since been added to our knowledge of this 
species, and I quote the following from the Austr. Mus. Spec. Cat., No. 1, 
Vol. III. : ‘ Mr. G. A. Heartland noted : ‘ The Grass Owl is very rare near 
Melbourne, but occasionally these birds may be disturbed from the grass 
tussocks near Beveridge. Several years ago great numbers of mice overran 
the Wallan District, and the Grass Owl suddenly beeame common and manv 
were caught in the rabbit traps, but as soon as the mice disappeared the 
Owls went too.’ Mr. J. A. Boyd, of Ripple Creek, Herbert River, N.E. 
Queensland, wrote : ‘ This Owl nests on the ground, choosing a high thick 
tussock of grass, forming a bower in it, and laying its eggs on the few grass 
blades that have been trampled down. On the 1st June, 1884, I found two 
nests, each of which contained three young ones and one egg. It is a curious 
fact that though this bird alwaiys lays four eggs, I never found more than 
three young ones, one egg being always addled. A friend of mine here has 
also had the same experience. It seems strange that the bird should lay one 
egg more than she is able to hatch. When first I came these Owls were 
comparatively common, but latterly they have almost disappeared from this 
immediate neighbourhood, owing I think to the largely increased number of 
eattle running over the plain.’ ” 
The systematic history of this species is almost as brief as its life-history. 
Gould reeognised Diggle’s figure as that of the Grass Owl and therefore figured 
it under the name of Strix Candida in his Supplement. This was the name 
Tickell had proposed for the Indian Grass Owl, with which the Australian 
bird was considered identical. The name was continued by every writer, 
Sharpe, Hartert, etc., until I discarded it in 1912 and eatalogued the 
Australian bird as Tyto longimembris walleri. Tickell’s name of Strix Candida 
was anticipated by Latham {Index Orn. Suppl. II., p. xiv., 1801) and 
consequently was invalid, and Jerdon’s synonym Strix longimembris^ also given 
to the India bird, came into use. 
I separated the Northern Territory bird as a distinct subspecies on 
account of its buff under-surface, but I have noted that North observed : 
“ Throughout Eastern Australia it is sparingly distributed, and is essentially 
an inhabitant of the coastal scrubs and adjacent open grass-lands, and is by 
far the rarest member of the genus Strix inhabiting the island continent. 
Some specimens have the upper and under-surface and ruff more strongly 
washed with orange-buff, and the white facial disc stained with dull 
chestnut.” 
As North only knew it from “ Queensland, New South Wales and 
Victoria,” it follows that variation is existent in these colonies. I am therefore 
suppressing my name for the present, as the material is not sufficient to 
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