Australian Birds in the Collection of the Linnean Society. 973 
Psittacus Cookii. Temm. Linn. Trans. vol. xiii. n; 111. 
Psittacus Leachii. Kuhl, Nova Acta §c. vol. 10. p. 91. no. 164. 
tab. iii. 
Cook's Cockatoo. Lath. Gen. Hist. ii. p. 201. no. 130. 
The colour of the bill of the two specimens of this bird in the 
Society's collection is a deep and decided black. M. Temminck 
in his Paper on these birds, in a former volume of these Trans- 
actions, says that the bill is of a lead colour, —“ couleur de plomb." 
—We know not how to reconcile this difference: but we men- 
tion the point more particularly, as the colour of the bill appears 
to us, judging at least from the specimens before us, to offer a 
strong mark of distinction between this bird and the next, the 
existence of which as a separate species has been much doubted. 
The specimens in our museum were not among the birds 
originally collected by Mr. Caley. In that gentleman's Notes, 
however, we find the following observations, which we make no 
doubt apply to this species. “The natives tell me of another 
kind of Cockatoo (besides Wyla and Geringora), which they call 
Carat’. It is very shy. It scrapes dirt out of the hollow boughs, 
and makes its nest as the others do. It lays two eggs, the colours 
of which I did not ascertain. The nest is found by watching the 
bird into the hole. It does not make Co'tora, nor cut off the 
branches of the trees: but it cuts off May'rybor'ro and Mun’ mow 
(the fruit of two species of Persoonia), without however eating 
them, before they are ripe, to the great injury and vexation of 
the natives." Mr. Caley has informed us, that he recollects 
having shot a bird soon after his arrival in the colony, which he 
` believes to have been of the same species as the Cal. Cookii of 
the Society's collection. It differed from the Wyla and Gerin- 
gora in having no yellow in its plumage. He also expresses his 
opinion that Cal. Cookii is the Carat’ of the natives. 
YOL. XV. QN 4. So- 
