620 NESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



weeks old, or about the first week in November, the birds are ready for 

 the market. In the young, at first the pinkish skin shines tlirough the 

 down, which grows yellowish in colour and into a thicker covering before 

 the feathers sprout. 



It is stated, with some feasibility, that youthful birds lay clutches 

 containing small numbers of eggs and occupy the lower trees or holes, 

 while the older birds deposit the full complement of eggs in the largest 

 and tallest timber. 



I once examined in Mr. Chas. Fox's shop. Eastern Market, a hybrid 

 between a Corella and a White Cockatoo, the progeny of a mated 

 pair whicli was observed flying about in New South Wales. There 

 were two young in the nest, one exactly like the White Cockatoo, and 

 the other — an exceedingly fine bird — most resembling its Corella parent, 

 but with a decided short crest, orange in coloiu, and with facial markings 

 also orange, instead of x-ed, as in the Corella. 



486. LlCMETlS PASTINATOR, Gould (396) 



DAMPIER COCKATOO. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xx., p. 134. 

 Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Campbell : Proc. Roy. Soc, Victoria, 

 vol. iii., new ser., p. 4 (1S90), also Victorian Naturalist (1893). 



Geographical Distribution. — West and North-west Australia. 



Nest. — Usually a hole of a tree, or crevice of rock ; but occasionally 

 in an ant-hillock. 



Eyya. — Clutch, three to four ; oval or round oval in shape ; 

 texture of shell comparatively fine ; surface glossy ; coloiu, pure 

 wliite, more or less stained with the dust of the nest. Dimensions 

 in inches of a pair; (1) 163 x 1-15, (2) 1-52 x 1-14. 



Observations. — " All ornithologists now admit that there are two 

 species of the genus Licmetis ; one inhabiting the western and the other 

 the eastern portion of Australia. Living examples of both have been 

 for some time in the menagerie of the Zoological Society of London, 

 where their differences are far more apparent than in the skins which 

 from time to time have been sent to this country " (Gould). 



This species is probably the oldest known Au.sti-aliaii Cockatoo, for 

 when the navigator, Dampier, in August, lO'J'J, was olT the western coast, 

 he saw birds flying from the niaiuJaud over to islands which form the 

 Archipelago now bearing his name, and recorded there wa>s a. ' sort of 

 whiti^ paiTot which (lew a great many together." A corresjxindent on 

 the western coast iiifonns me the Cockatoos st ill fly " a great many 

 together " in August and September to breed on the islands, where they 

 nest in the holes and crevices of rocks. llowtver, in the season ofl8'Jl, 

 on account of the prevailing ckought, they did not visit the islands as 



