The Birds of Australia, Vol. 1 of 7

Strix tenebricosus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p. 80.

A fine specimen of this species is comprised in the collection of the British 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. It is a fine and powerful species, and the rarest of the Australian members of 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 of 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 feather; wings and tail of the same hue but paler, the feathers of the wing of a uniform tint, without bars, those of the tail faintly freckled with narrow bars of white; under surface brownish black, washed with buff, and with the white marks much less decided; legs mottled brown and white; irides dark brown; bill horn-colour; feet yellowish.

The figure is of the natural size.