THE COCKATOOS. 141 



a large bird needs more space than every household has to 

 spare ; that it is accounted a dreadful screamer, does not belong 

 to the most notable talkers, and finally, that the bites of a large 

 Cockatoo, when wild or badly trained, are feared as dangerous. 

 It is, therefore, rarely found in private dwellings, except in 

 the gorgeous cages of a large drawing-room, ante-room, or the 

 like. In spite of this, however, as may be seen from the above 

 descriptions, they have their special fanciers, who show great 

 partiality for them, closely observe and study them, and enthu- 

 siastically esteem them as valuable cage-birds. 



The diet of Cockatoos is verj^ simple ; they must have chiefly 

 seeds, hemp, canary seed, oats and maize, also stale dry bread, 

 biscuit, or egg-bread, and good fruit, especially apples ; boiled 

 rice, which was formerly so much given, should be avoided. 

 An acclimatised Cockatoo of any species is one of the hardiest 

 of birds, and can be kept without danger through the winter in 

 a room without a fire. With good management it attains to an 

 extreme old age. With regard to its cage, it must be borne 

 in mind that it can do astonishing things with its beak, which 

 can be used as hammer, pincers, or screw-driver, and with its 

 cleverness and cunning it succeeds beyond belief in opening 

 cage doors, loosing the foot chain, &c. " Foot chains and their 

 fastenings, stands, wire grating, food and drinking vessels, strong 

 wooden frames, and zinc linings, are destroyed ; it can even 

 learn to undo a double screw," says Fiedler. Many efforts have 

 been made to find a means of correcting this habit, but as yet 

 unsuccessfully. 



The word "Cockatoo," in Karl Hagenbeck's opinion, is not a 

 naere imitation of a natural sound. Dr. A. B. Meyer says it 

 means ''pincers," or ''crab's claw," and has reference to the 

 beak. 



