Part 8

"Fine species;" crown, face, chest, abdomen black; flanks chestnut; hind-neck light-brown; upper brownish-black; wing-quills white base, rest black; this white patch gives appearance of window in wing when flying; f., larger. Animals.

2 5

=165* Australian Black-shouldered Kite=, _Elanus axillaris_, A.

Mig. r. _open plains_ 12.5

Upper delicate-gray; head, under white; jet black shoulder, patch under wing; tail grayish-white; f., sim. Insects, reptiles.

=166 Letter-winged Kite=, White-breasted Sparrow Hawk (e), _E. scriptus_, E.A., S.A., W.A.

r. _plains (interior)_ 12.5

Like 165, but more black on under angle of wing gives letter W when wings expanded; f., sim. Insects.

4 37

=167* Black-cheeked Falcon=, _Falco melanogenys_, A., T. =vt. Eur. Peregrine Falcon.

Stat. c. _plains_, _coast_, _rocky_ 15

Crown, side of head black; upper-breast creamy spotted black; rest of under barred black, reddish-gray; upper, wings, tail dark-gray; tail barred brown, gray; f., larger. Birds.

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=168 Gray Falcon=, Blue (Smoke) Hawk, _F. hypoleucus_, A. =vt. Eur. Gyrfalcon.

v.r. _timber_, _plains_ f., 17; m., 12

"Rare beautiful falcon;" bluish-white below; grey above; tail barred gray, brown. Birds.

=169 Black Falcon=, _F. subniger_, A.

v.r. _plains (inland)_ 17

Dark, sooty-brown, paler below; chin whitish; f., larger.

=170* Little Falcon= (White-fronted), Duck Hawk (e), Australian Hobby, _F. lunulatus_, A., T., =vt. Eur. Hobby.

Stat. c. _plains_ f., 13.5; m., 11.5

Forehead white; upper grayish-black; cheeks black; tail barred gray, chestnut; throat buff; chest reddish-buff, striped dark-brown; under, thighs reddish; incomplete whitish collar; f., larger. Birds, insects.

2 3

=171 Striped Brown Hawk= (Western, Orange-speckled), _Hieracidea berigora_, A. [~171 _Ieracidea berigora._]

v.c. _swampy_, _plains_ 17

Upper dark-brown; wings spotted reddish; incomplete collar, under buff-white striped dark-brown; throat whitish; naked skin round bill yellow; tail barred dark-brown, gray; f., larger. Caterpillars, insects, birds.

=172* Brown Hawk=, _H. orientalis_, A., T. [~172 _Ieracidea orientalis._]

Stat. v.c. _timber_ 17

Head, upper dark-brown; line over eye, throat buff; under buff spotted rust-brown; tail brown barred rust-red; Skin round bill bluish; f., larger. Food as 171.

1 28

=173* Nankeen Kestrel=, Windhover, Mosquito Hawk, Sparrowhawk (e), _Cerchneis cenchroides_, A., T., N.Z. =vt. Eur. Kestrel.

Stat, v.c. _timber_, _plains_ 11.5

Upper cinnamon-red, spotted black; tail rufous, faintly banded black above, tipped white, then black bar; side neck, throat, abdomen, under tail white; chest buff striped black; f., larger. Insects, mice.

F. 69. PANDIONIDAE (1), OSPREYS, 6 sp.--3(0)A., 5(1)O., 1(0)P., 1(0)E., 1(0)Nc, 1(0)Nl.

1 3

=174 White-headed Osprey=, Fish Hawk, _Pandion leucocephalus_, Mol., N.G., A., T. =vt. cos. bird.

Stat. r. _shores_ 23

Crown, hind-neck, throat, abdomen, under tail white; upper dark-brown; chest mottled brown; side-neck dark-brown, marked white; wing-quills black; dives; f., sim. Fish.

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Just as the Diurnal Birds of Prey (e.g., Hawks) are closely related to those of the Northern Hemisphere, so are the Nocturnal Birds of Prey (Owls) very closely related to those of the Old World. The different kinds of Owls are so closely similar that there are many disputes as to their classification, and it is not likely that we shall ever be able to recognize in the living, free state all the species recognized by scientists.

Indeed, I was much interested at the Adelaide Museum to see our leading ornithologists fail to pick out the skins of two English Barn Owls when they were placed with three Australian Lesser Masked Owls, and yet ornithologists give our birds such widely-different names that literature is useless to us. These names have seriously hampered the popularization of bird-study in Australia. If ornithologists, with skins in hand, cannot separate them, what is the use of manufacturing species?

As Owls are active late in the afternoon or at night, there has always been a certain amount of mystery regarding them, and, speaking generally, the ordinary observer knows little of them. Two of the Australian birds have forced themselves on our notice to some extent. The Powerful Owl, the largest of our Owls, has alarmed many by means of its blood-curdling screeches heard in quiet forest gullies.

The Boobook Owl, though not often seen, calls "Mopoke," which sounded like "Boobook" to the aboriginal ear, but became "Cuckoo"--the best-loved bird-call of their far-distant home to the ears of the homesick first white residents. And was it not, they asked, what one might expect in a country where Christmas came at the wrong time of the year, where the trees were always green, and shed their bark instead of their leaves--where the leaves grew vertically, instead of horizontally, and so gave no shade--was it not natural that the Cuckoo, a day bird in England, should become a night bird in this land of paradoxes and contradictions? Thus Australia's reputation was added to even by the Boobook Owl.

Confusion was caused, for, when daylight came, and the Frogmouth was seen sitting in the tree, the Frogmouth was supposed to be responsible for the frequent calls of the previous night. However, some reliable observers, notably Mr. C. H. McLennan, "Mallee Bird," and Mr. T. H. Tregellas, claim that the Frogmouth does call "Mopoke'" occasionally, but the Boobook Owl is the bird that is responsible for the frequent "Mopoke" on calm evenings.

The Owls are divided into two families. The members of the first family--the Owls Proper, or Hawk-Owls--have the facial disc almost absent, while in the second family the facial disc is complete. In each, the eyes are directly obliquely forward, and, since they are not capable of much movement, the bird turns its head from side to side. Though mainly nocturnal, Owls are sometimes seen hunting for their prey by day. As they feed mostly on mice, rats, and insects, they are very valuable birds. The feathers are very soft, with a weak central axis, so that no sound is made when flying. They are thus able to approach their prey without giving warning. The Powerful Owl well deserves its name, as it possesses great strength, and is a formidable enemy if wounded. However, Owls are, fortunately, seldom shot at.

Like Hawks, Owls catch their prey with and carry it in their feet, unless the feet are required for climbing. One peculiarity of the feet is that the bird can reverse one toe, so that it can have three toes in front and one behind, like most birds, or two in front and two behind, like Parrots and Cuckoos.

Although not so strong of flight as the Diurnal Birds of Prey (_e.g._, Hawks), Owls have managed to spread throughout the world, so that they are found even in New Zealand. The different kinds are not easily separated, so most people are satisfied when they have classed a bird as an Owl, though you will probably want to divide them into two groups--the Owls Proper and the Barn Owls.

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ORDER XVI--STRIGIFORMES, NOCTURNAL BIRDS OF PREY, OWLS.

F. 70. BUBONIDAE (11) HAWK OWLS, 280 sp.--47(44)A., 88(74)O., 33(17)P., 48(42)E., 34(16)Nc, 75(61)Nl.

11 44

=175 Boobook Owl= (Cuckoo), _Ninox boobook_, A.

Stat. v.c. _timber_ 16

Head, upper, wings, tail reddish-brown; under rufous blotched white; facial disc indistinct, grayish-white edged black; f., larger. Insects, mice, birds.

=176 Spotted Owl=, _N. maculata_, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A., T., King Is.

Stat. r. _timber_ 13

Head, upper brown spotted white; under brown blotched tawny and white; disc indistinct; f., slightly larger. Insects, birds.

=177 Winking Owl= (Western), _N. connivens_, A., exc. N.W.A.

Stat. c. _brushes_, _wooded gullies_ 16

Upper dark-brown spotted white; tail dark-brown barred grayish-white; under mottled brown, white; disc indistinct; f., larger. Insects, birds.

=178 Powerful Owl= (Eagle), _N. strenua_, N. Ter., E.A., S.A.

Stat. r. _dense gullies_ 24

Crown, upper brown marked whitish; face, throat, chest whitish streaked brown; rest of under whitish barred brown; f., sim. Birds, quadrupeds.

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F. 71. STRIGIDAE (5), BARN OWLS, 26 sp.--13(11)A., 3(1)O., 1(0)P., 4(3)E., 1(1)Nc., 7(7)Nl.

5 26

=179 Australian Barn Owl= (Lesser Masked, Delicate, Screech), _Strix delicatula_, N.G., A. [~179-183 _Genus, Tyto._]

Stat. c. _timber_ 14

Upper beautiful soft light grayish-brown tinged yellow, finely spotted blackish-brown and white; under white, few small brownish spots; disc white edged buff; f., sim. Mice, rats.

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=180 Masked Owl=, _S. novae-hollandiae_, A. [~179-183 _Genus, Tyto._]

Stat. r. _forests_, _rocky_ 14

Pale buff; head, back wings marked dark-brown, few white spots; under paler, few brown spots; disc purplish-white, edged with deep-brown spots; f., larger. Mice, rats.

=181 Chestnut-faced Owl=, _S. castanops_, N.S.W., V., S.A., T. [~179-183 _Genus, Tyto._]

Stat. c. _brushes_, _swamps_; f., 17; m., 14.5

Disc deep-chestnut edged black; upper rufous-brown marked dark-brown; few small spots on head, shoulders; under deep sandy-brown with blackish spots; f., larger. Mice, rats.

=182 Sooty Owl=, Dusky Barn Owl, _S. tenebricosa_, N.G., E.A. [~179-183 _Genus, Tyto._]

Stat. v.r. _dense brushes_; f., 16; m., 13.5

Disc sooty-gray deeper round eyes; upper brownish-black finely spotted white; under brownish-black washed buff, fainter spots; legs mottled brown, white; f., larger. Mice, rats.

=183 Grass Owl=, _S. candida_, India, Formosa, China, Philippines to E.A. [~179-183 _Genus, Tyto._]

Stat. v.r. _grass_ 14

Disc white or tinged pale-pink; brownish spot before eye; edge disc dark-brown above, buff below; upper dark-brown finely spotted white; under white tinged orange-buff with scattered brown spots; tail whitish barred brown; legs long; f., sim.

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While Australia possesses representatives of nearly all the important widely-spread families of birds this favored land also contains many birds that are unknown elsewhere. In addition, there are some groups which are found in other continents, but which reach their highest development here. Conspicuous amongst these are Parrots and Cockatoos. Australians are so accustomed to see these beautiful birds on every country road, and in cages outside their houses, that they do not appreciate their beauty or their interest, for "familiarity breeds contempt," even with bird life.

When one reflects that no figure of a Parrot is found in ancient Egyptian art, and that no Parrot is mentioned in the Bible, then one begins to understand the interest of Europeans in these "spoilt children" of the animal world, the "monkeys of the bird world," and "the cream of the Australian avifauna."

Their tameness, their affection, their entertaining habits, and their remarkable powers of speech, all help to render Parrots the favorites amongst birds. The brilliance of their plumage, their intelligence, and their longevity excite wonder, for Parrots have been known to live 100 years in captivity. Presumably, they would live even longer in a state of nature. Humboldt recorded, as quoted in Newton's "Dictionary of Birds," "that in South America he met with a venerable bird, which remained the sole possessor of a literally dead language, the whole tribe of Indians, Atures by name, who spoke it, having become extinct."

Australians will perhaps be surprised to learn that there are no Parrots or Cockatoos in Europe, and none in Asia, excepting India, none in Africa north of the Tropic of Cancer, and only two in North America, and that one of these is rapidly becoming extinct, and that Africa and India are poor in Parrots. Thus South America and Australasia alone are left as the lands that contain these interesting birds in any number. While South America contains the largest Parrots--the Macaws--all the South American species belong to one family. In the Australian region six families of Parrots are represented. Four of them are confined to the region, while but one species of the fifth family (Cockatoos) is found outside the region.

The Brush-tongued Parrots, or "Lorikeets," are a purely Australian family. Some of these are very common at times in flowering eucalypts, even in the public gardens and streets. The Blue Mountain Parrot, very common at times, is a giant of the family. It has been described as a "noble bird, gorgeously apparelled." Its vernacular name of Blue-bellied Lorikeet has been altered to Blue Mountain Lorikeet. We found these birds nesting in the big sugar-gums bordering Warunda Creek, Eyre Peninsula. They keenly and noisily resented our curiosity, and screeched much as we tried to discover them amongst the green foliage. Though so gaudy, they were picked out with difficulty. This bird was very troublesome in my garden at Bengworden, near the Gippsland Lakes, where, when the apples were about the size of marbles, they tore them to pieces to get the developing "pips." In common with the other members of the family, they have a swift, direct flight, and screech much when flying. The "Green Keets," generally called "Green Leeks," which are so very numerous at times, are often accompanied by two other Lorikeets, the Little and Purple-crowned Lorikeets. These green birds hang, head down, among the eucalyptus leaves, and brush up the honey from the flowers with their brush tongue. They follow the flowering of the eucalypts from district to district, and since the eucalypts flower at irregular intervals, these birds are not so regular in their movements as Swifts, Snipe, Curlews, Cuckoos, and other migratory birds. For this reason the birds may be absent from a district for some years, and then suddenly appear again in great numbers.

Cockatoos are almost confined to the Australian region. This includes the islands north-west of Australia out to Wallace's line, passing between Celebes and the Philippine Islands, Celebes and Borneo, and between the small islands of Lombok and Bali, east of Java. These islands, though but fifteen miles apart, "differ far more from each other in their birds and quadrupeds than do England and Japan. The birds of the one are extremely unlike those of the other." Another authority says that the faunas of Bali and Lombok are more unlike than those of South America and Africa. Bali has Woodpeckers, Barbets, Bulbuls, and Black and White Magpie-Robins, none of which is found in Lombok, where we find Screaming Cockatoos, Friar-birds, and other Honey-eaters, and the strange mound-building Megapodes and numerous other remarkable birds. This narrow strait is over 1000 fathoms in depth, and is probably one of the most ancient and most permanent dividing lines in the world. Instead of being united to Asia, it is probable that Australia has been more recently joined to New Zealand, South America, and South Africa. Only one Cockatoo transgresses Wallace's line to the west, and that is found in the Philippine Islands; evidently it has spread there from the adjacent part of the Australian region.

The sombre, slow-flying Black Cockatoo is the largest of all Cockatoos. It is seen fairly often in small companies, especially on wattles and eucalypts, the wood of which it tears to pieces with its powerful bill to get the insect larvae feeding there. It is a valuable forest-saving bird.

The Glossy or Leach Black Cockatoo is named after Dr. Leach, who did a great amount of work on Australian animals about 100 years ago. It is a rare bird, and may readily be distinguished by its smaller size and more glossy plumage.

The peculiar gray Gang-gang Cockatoos are common in parts of the forest country. The male is easily recognized by his red head and crest. I occasionally see these interesting birds in the big eucalypt forests of Gippsland. I was surprised to discover that, in South Gippsland, it is generally called the Galah, a name which belongs to quite a different bird (194).

The screeching, fussy White Cockatoo, with its delicate sulphur crest, is well known. Many country dwellers enjoy the privilege of often seeing these snowy-white birds almost covering a dead tree. They are favorites as pets, and live to a good old age. They render good service at times by digging up and eating grasshoppers' eggs, though they do damage to maize and other crops. As they post sentinels, they are difficult birds to approach.

The Pink Cockatoo (Major Mitchell) is unfortunately becoming rare. It was fairly common when I taught in a Mallee school, near where Hopetoun now is. It has been described as "quite the most beautiful of all the Cockatoos, being a harmony of delicate rose-pink and white, with a handsome crest of acuminate feathers barred in crimson, yellow, and white." It does not take kindly to captivity. It nested in the smaller "spouts" of the green "box-trees" in the "box-flats" and swamps about the Goyura School, south of Lake Corrong.

What is more glorious than a mob of Rose-breasted Cockatoos (Galahs), 500 strong, airing their beauties and graces as they take a constitutional before retiring for the night? Probably no other kind of bird shows better company-flying than Galahs; now one sheet of a delicate gray lavender, and the next instant a flash of brilliant salmon-pink, as the whole company turns and wheels, obedient to some command or signal unperceived by us; again, the sun lights up the pale-pink crests and gray backs, as they turn once more and wheel, screeching, to continue their evolutions further afield. It is a sight that lingers in the memory. They are charming pets, and some talk well. Their beauty adds charm to our almost perfectly level great inland plains.

The delicately-colored and friendly Cockatoo Parrot, with its immovable crest, takes a sub-family to itself. It migrates from the North, and, in a dry year, may even reach the South Coast. In 1908 some of these birds reached Colac, in Southern Victoria. They are favorite aviary birds, and thousands have been exported.

In the true Parrot family, Australia is strongly represented by many beautiful birds. The first is the Barraband Parrakeet of Gould, and the Green Leek of some ornithologists. As the name Green Leek is practically in universal use for the Musk Lorikeet (Green Keet) of the ornithologist, it seems desirable to sink an inappropriate name into a synonym, and use the earlier name, Superb Parrot, for it is a beautiful bird. Sad to say, it has become exceedingly rare, though Mr. A. W. Milligan informed me, a few days ago, that he saw six fly into some pines at Black Rock one day this month (January, 1911).

The Rock Pebble, or Smoker, of the country dweller, formally called the Black-tailed Parrot, is a fine bird. His tail, however, is not really black, but is strongly iridescent. He nested in numbers, at the beginning of the nineties, in the dead box-trees in Lake Corrong. After an early tea, we frequently went over to the lake and watched the birds feeding their young. No longer do they inhabit that district, which has been completely cleared and placed under cultivation.

The big King Parrot is a "showy, noble species," and is still common in parts, especially the moist forest districts.

The members of the next group form a sub-family--the Broad-tails--confined to Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Judging by their names, they must be amongst the most beautiful of birds. The best known is the common Rosella, often quoted in European books as one of the most beautiful of birds. Its scientific name is eximius, which means excellent. Indeed, the scientific names of Australian parrots give a good indication of their place amongst the glories of the bird world. The cousin of the Rosella--the large blue-winged and blue-cheeked Crimson Parrot--is well named elegans; a grass parrot is also elegans, then follow splendidus, splendida, and pulchella, while that great ornithologist, Gould, has conferred the honor of pulcherrimus on another Australian parrot. These names, given by scientists, will show Australians in what high esteem these birds, so common with us, are held by observers from other lands.

The Crimson Parrot, previously mentioned, is, I think, becoming common, for I have lately seen it flying about in towns, notably in the Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, the Zoological Gardens, Melbourne, and the school yard at Wangaratta.

The Yellow Parrakeet, with its blue cheeks, is a "harmony in blue and canary yellow, and is an exceedingly lovely bird." It is unfortunately rare.

The next bird is one of our well-known cage pets--the beautiful Ringneck--the Mallee Parrot. It flies ahead of one along the half-chain strip of scrub left on mallee roads, and is a feature of interest.

The next group contains some inland parrots. The "Bulloak," or "Blue Bonnet," is a beautiful bird, and is common on inland plains. It has a brownish-olive back and a gray chest. The bright, blue cheeks, forehead, and shoulder, red abdomen, and light yellow base to tail present a striking appearance. Its vernacular name--Yellow-vented Parrakeet--has now been altered to Blue Bonnet Parrot.

The Many-colored Parrot, with its large yellow shoulder patch, is a glory. It is, indeed, difficult to imagine a more beautiful bird as it flies about in the bright Mallee sunshine. The Red-backed Parrot is the common "Grass Parrot" of country dwellers. Large flocks of these birds are to be seen on the inland plains. The female is much plainer than her gaudy mate. This is unusual amongst parrots; for, as the work of sitting on the eggs is done in a hollow tree under good shelter, there is apparently no reason why the female should be plainer than the male, and in most parrots she is equally pretty.

The brownish female offers a strong contrast to her more brightly coloured mate, which is immediately distinguished by the large red patch on the back. (The Many-colored Parrot has a much smaller red patch on the back, near the base of the tail.)

The seven small Grass-Parrots (_Neophemas_) are amongst the most beautiful of parrots. These birds have become so rare that the South Australian Government has wisely placed them on the totally-protected list. Bird trappers formerly exported numbers to Europe each year. These rare Parrots are said to be worth about L7 each as cage birds.

We found the rare Rock Parrot nesting in the edges and hollows of a tiny travertine-limestone island (Goat Island) in an inlet at the eastern end of the Great Australian Bight. The eggs were laid on the bare earth, often within two or three feet of high-tide mark. The whole island was less than an acre in extent, and at no point was ten feet above high-tide level. Many similar islands on the Australian coast have not yet been explored ornithologically, so we do not know what matters of interest are awaiting us.

The next bird, the Swift-flying Lorikeet, is a honey feeder, like the first four Parrots (Lorikeets) mentioned. It is often found with them, and was common all the winter, and is common now in a clump of flowering gums outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It has given scientists much trouble as to its correct name and position. It can be distinguished from the "Green Keets" by having scarlet under the wings.