STRIX TENEBRICOSUS, M
Sooty Owl.
Strix tenebricosus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X III. p. 80.
A f in e specimen of this species is comprised in the collection o f the B ritish Museum, and a second example
graces my own; its habitat is undoubtedly the dense brushes of the east coast of Australia, where, like
other Owls, it remains secluded during the day, and sallies forth at night in search of its natural prey. I t is
a fine and powerful species, and the rarest o f the Australian members o f the genus to which it belongs, from
all of which it is conspicuously distinguished by the dark sooty hue of its plumage, and by the primaries
being of one colour, or destitute o f the bars common to all the other species.
Facial disc sooty grey, becoming much deeper round the eyes; upper surface brownish black, with
purplish reflexions, and with a spot of white near the tip of each feath er; wings and tail of the same hue
b ut paler, the feathers of the wing of a uniform tint, without bars, those of the tail faintly freckled with
narrow bars of w hite; under surface’brownish black, washed with buff, and with the white marks much less
decided ; legs mottled brown and wh ite; irides dark brown; bill horn-colour; feet yellowish.
The figure is of the natural size.