HYBRIDISM AMONG COCKATOOS. 



11 



specimens the lower edge slopes upwards towards the mner 

 corner at an angle of 10°-15°. The hook of the bill was 

 short and perpendicular. There is also much individual 

 variation in the length and curvature of the hook ; and from 

 Count Salvadori's remarks, quoted above, it would appear 

 that in Tasmanian specimens the hook tends to be longer and 

 more nearly like that of the genus Licmetis. 



The upper edge of the lower mandible is slightly concave 

 for its proximal two-thirds, while towards the tip it is deeply 

 concave owing to the curvature of the bill. 



Nostrils surrounded by narrow naked cere at the insertion 

 of the bill. 



The female-bird (PI. II, B) was a normal specimen of 

 Licmetis n a sic a, and the description of the species given 

 in the British Museum Catalogue ^ is as follows : 



"Adult. — White; lores and a narrow frontal band red; 

 the feathers of the head, neck and breast are scarlet at the 

 base, showing through the white, especially on the breast : 

 the under surface of the wing washed with pale brimstone- 

 yelloAv, the under surface of the tail also washed with brim- 

 stone-yellow, but brighter: iris light brown; bill white; naked 

 skin round the eyes light blue ; feet dull olive-grey. Total 

 length 1.5 inches; wing 11 ; tail 5 ; bill T95 ; tarsus 0-9.5. 



"Hab. — Australia, from the Gulf of Carpentaria, through 

 the interior to N. S. Wales and South Australia." 



The present specimen when standing on perch measured 

 13i inches (343 mm.) from the crown of the head to the tip of 

 the tail. 



The crest is in the form of a ruif consisting of the front 

 white feathers of the crown, which are ei-ected Avhen the bird 

 is annoyed. The feathers which correspond to the long- 

 recurved sulphur-yellow feathers of the crest of C. galerita 

 are further back on the crown, and are short feathers about 

 1-5 inches (38 mm.) in length. These have red bases Avhich 

 are not ordinarily visible when the bird is quiescent. 



1 Ibid., p. 134. 



