Companion to Gould's Handbook; or, Synopsis of the birds of Australia. Containing nearly one-third of the whole, or about 220 examples, for the most part from the original drawings (1877) (14748203601)

Identifier: CompanionGoulds00Digg (find matches)

Title: Companion to Gould's Handbook; or, Synopsis of the birds of Australia. Containing nearly one-third of the whole, or about 220 examples, for the most part from the original drawings

Year: 1877 (1870s)

Authors: Diggles, Silvester Gould, John, 1804-1881. Handbook to the birds of Australia

Subjects: Birds

Publisher: Brisbane, Thorne & Greenwell

Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries

Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

Text Appearing Before Image:

was disturbed by a gentleman of myacquaintance, in Rosenthal scrub, near Warwick, who says ; I was attracted by a strange knocking. On getting within thirty yards of the place I saw a specimen of the large owl (Athene Strenua) on the branch of a tree devouring an opossum; on becoming aware of my presence he raised himself to his full height and looked at me with an expression of haughty disdain, conveying at the same time the idea that if I did not quickly remove he would punish me. When at a distance of ten or twelve yards I threw a stick at him ; he took no notice of this ; but when I threw another, which struck him, he flew quietly away, taking his prey with him. I refrained from shooting him, being on the look out for wallabies at the time. The present species is found in the scrubs and brushes of the dividing range and the countrybetween it and the east coast, both in New South Wales and Queensland, but is more frequently obtained in the latter, though far fromplentiful anywhere.

Text Appearing After Image:

.j7fSi ATHENE BOOBOOK Boobook Owl ATHENE BOOBOOK. (Boohook Owl.) Facial disk, whitish in front, the hinder part, brown : upper surface, reddish brown; wing coverts, scapularies, and inner w^ebs of thesecondaries, spotted with white ; tail feathers, alternately banded with dark and light brown : under surface, light reddish brown, withirregular, blotches of white ; thighs, tawny buff; bill, dark horn color ; feet and irides, yellow. Length, 14; inches ; wing, 10; tail, 7f; tarsus. If; bill (measured in a straight line), 1;. This species is found in the dense scrubs of Queensland, and is also met with in JSTew South Wales and the other AustralianColonies, especially in tea-tree swamps or marshes in the neighborhood of woods. It is partially diurnal in its habits, and flies with greatswiftness, feeding as readily upon insects as upon small reptiles, mammals, and birds. The peculiar note which it utters at night resemblesthe word Boo-book, and somewhat reminds one of that of the English C

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1877

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