| OCR Text |
Show 580 MR. E. P. RAMSAY ON [Nov. 16, 17. CIRCUS ASSIMILIS. Occasionally met with on the open grass-lands of the Herbert river. Mr. White obtained five examples inland from Rockhampton, at Springsure, and on the Barkoo river. 18. CIRCUS GOULDI. Plentiful enough at times ; they often assemble in small flocks, and may be seen skimming over the open grass-beds and seizing the Quail and other small birds as they rise. If no Hawks are to be seen, a goodmethod to obtain specimens is to set fire to the grass, when several species will soon arrive, and some may be seen dashing almost into the flames after the birds as they rise. 19. STRIX TENEBRICOSA. Very rare ; only one specimen, obtained in the bushes near Dalrymple's Gap. 20. STRIX NOV^-HOLLANDI^E. This species is now plentiful in the bushes of the coast-range. I noticed in Mr. J. B. White's collection, obtained at Springsure, a very dark-faced variety; the facial disk was of a deep chestnut; another shot at Dalrymple's Gap on the coast-range has the disk almost white, and large spots on the under surface. It is a very variable species. 21. STRIX DELICATULA. I examined one specimen shot near the township of Cardwell; it does not appear to differ from the usual New-South-Wales form of this species. 22. SPILOGLAUX BOOBOOK. One specimen, shot by my collector near Cardwell, is slightly larger than the ordinary birds of the same species found in New South Wales. Colouring the same. 23. HIERACOGLAUX CONNIVENS. This species seems to be more plentiful than Spiloglaux boobook; neither are they by any means rare. 24. PODARGUS, sp. I have again to observe that two species, quite distinct from one another in the form of the bill as well as in colour, have been procured; these are also distinct from those obtained by my late collector, Spalding, in the same district several years ago. The species of this genus are in such glorious coufusion that it is almost impossible to recognize any of them from bare descriptions. The two I have lately acquired are certainly distinct from any figured in Mr. Gould's work on the Birds of Australia. 25. PODARGUS PAPUENSIS. Very scarce ; one specimen is slightly smaller than those I have obtained from Cape York. |
