Page:The Emu volume 4.djvu/150

 I 28 D'OmbRAIN, Some Birds of the Caster ton District. [sth "jan. — " With regard to the birds mentioned it may not be altogether out of place to mention in a report of this nature (as showing the presence of disease amongst all vertebrates) that no fewer than 1 3 specimens of the Lesser Masked Owl have been brought under my notice, having been picked up dead or dying, some in pairs, others singly. On examination, their bodies were wasted and starved in appearance." Their habits are much the same as the whole class of Owls, and the only other note I have about them is that they lay as many as three eggs, and they will take the carcass of a small rabbit to a hole in a tree and will feed on it there during daylight, as has been proved by the appearance of the recently torn flesh of a rabbit found in the " camp " just vacated by the bird. Last season I had three " in the down," taken from a nest. They were " leggy " balls of down with the facial disc showing plainly. Evidently these feathers are the first to make their appearance. I photographed these and also an adult bird with the wings spread in flight, the bird being tethered. One of the young ones, when fledged, recently scored first prize in a suburban show, and is now " at home " in the Melbourne Zoological Gardens. They make a hissing sound when angry, and are very " snappy." The eyes deepened in colour as the bird ^rew, till they were inky-black. Chestnut-faced Owl {Strix novcp-hollandicp, sub-sp. castanops). — This is supposed to be a doubtful species, but I feel pretty confident that the specimen of Owl which I have got in this district is a quite distinct bird from S. novcB-hollandicE . In this specimen the facial disc is entirely difTerent in colour from that of the Masked Owl, having no purple hue about the face, and the circumference of the disc is a pure chestnut ; also there is no ring of dark feathers on the disc at all. The under surface of the whole bird is uniformly pure white — neither streaks nor spots on the feathers — and the general colouring of the whole of the upper surface is much lighter and has much more chestnut, in blotches, on it. finally, the whole appearance is at a glance different from that of the Masked Owl, and on close inspection is markedly so. My specimen was shot in a tree along with a Delicate Owl. They were " hooting," and thus drew attention to their presence. It was a male bird, and measured from tip to tip of wings 40 inches. One wing was 17 inches, and total length of bird 14^ inches. I intend having the specimen fully identified, if possible.

(Ninox connivens). — I know very litttle about the habits of this Owl, though the species is fairly plentiful here. Probably their general grey colour saves them from detection. These birds are frequently caught by the legs in rabbit traps. I have had two live specimens so taken. One had a dislocated "knee," which I reduced. On two subsequent occasions it was re-discolated and reduced, till finally it became so thickened and