NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 60; 



authenticated egg was exhibited by my friend, Mr. Joseph Gabriel, at 

 a meeting of the Field Natiu-alists' Club of Victoria, held 12th August, 

 1895. When he first procured the rare specimen ho brought it to 

 compare with those of the other varieties of Black Cockatoos in my 

 collection, but, probably believing I had enough matter on new eggs 

 ready for the printer, he kindly allowed Mr. A. J. North, during a 

 visit to Melbourne, to describe the specimen in cm' home journal, 

 " The Victorian Naturalist." 



Mr. W. H. Watson (Mr. Gabriel's collector) took two eggs in the 

 western district of Queensland about the 1st of May and June, res- 

 pectively (1895). Both nesting places were in large hollow limbs of 

 eucalypts overhanging the river. In both instances the fine black birds 

 were observed to fly from the nest. At one time Mr. Watson used 

 to manage Cultowa station, on the Darling River, where he noticed 

 many nests of this Cockatoo, generally in the biggest trees in the river 

 bends, and although he examined about a dozen nests in New South 

 Wales and Queensland, he never found more than a single e^g or one 

 young bird in any of them. 



Another correspondent, possibly referring to the same species, 

 states : — " Their nests may be foiuid in the hollows of the tallest gum- 

 trees on the River Darhng, from Wilcannia to Bourke ; but their 

 greatest camping place is about Nelyambo, Buckanby, and Kalara. 

 Nesting time, July, August, and September. The young are very 

 difficult to rear, and veiy noisy." 



Refening to the Banksian Cockatoo in the Bloomfield district, 

 Northern Queensland, a note by Mr. D. Le Souef, under date the end of 

 October, 1896, states that one of these birds " had its nest near by, 

 with a nearly fvdly-fledged yoimg one in it. The parent birds left their 

 fledgeling in the morning, and chd not return to it until the evening. 

 As the tree in which the nest was was close to the house, Mr. Cochrane 

 was enabled to keep the bird under his observation, and obsei-ved the 

 fact stated. The birds, apparently, only lay one egg, as in the four 

 nests that I have heard of such was the case. Mr. Hislop knew of 

 another nest, and was waiting until the young bird was old enough to 

 take, but the natives, forestalling him, took the yoimg bird and 

 ate it." 



476. — CALYPTORHYNCnrs MACRonHYNCHUs, Gould. — (398) 

 GREAT-BILLED COCKATOO. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. v., pi. 8. 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xx., p. no. 



Georjraphicnl Dixtrihution. — North-west Australia, Northern Teni- 

 tory, and North Quensland. 



NcM and Eggs. — Undescribed. 



