Genus Strix, Linn.
While as a general rule other countries are only inhabited by a single species of the restricted genus Strix, the Fauna of Australia comprises no less than four, all of which appear to be necessary in order to prevent an inordinate increase of the smaller quadrupeds which there abound.
| 28. Strix castanops, Gould | Vol. I. Pl. [28]. |
| 29. Strix personata, Vig. | Vol. I. Pl. [29]. |
| 30. Strix tenebricosus, Gould | Vol. I. Pl. [30]. |
| 31. Strix delicatulus, Gould | Vol. I. Pl. [31]. |
- Strix flammea? Vig. & Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 190.
Genus Athene, Boie.
A genus of diurnal Owls, of which five species are natives of Australia; the smaller kinds are represented in Europe and Asia by the Athene noctua, A. Cuculoides and A. Brama; the larger kinds have no representatives in the northern hemisphere.
| 32. Athene Boobook | Vol. I. Pl. [32]. |
| 33. Athene maculata | Vol. I. Pl. [33]. |
| 34. Athene marmorata, Gould. |
- Athene marmorata, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIV. p. 18.
All the upper surface, wings and tail dark brown, obscurely spotted with white round the back of the neck, on the wing-coverts and scapularies; inner webs of the primaries at their base, and the inner webs of the lateral tail-feathers crossed by bands, which are buff next the shaft and white towards the extremity of the webs; face and chin whitish; under surface dark brown, blotched with white and sandy brown; legs and thighs fawn-colour; bill horn-colour; feet yellow.
Inhabits South Australia, is much larger than A. maculata, but so nearly allied to, and so much like that species, that I have not thought it necessary to give a separate figure of it.