THE COCKATOOS. 143 



CHAP. XLVL— THE LESSER SULPHUR-CRESTED 

 COCKATOO. 



PsittacTia sulfureus, Gml. 



Small Cockatoo, Java Cockatoo (G-er., Kleiner gelhgehduhter, 

 Kleiner Gelbhauhen, Kleiner gelhhdchiger, Kleiner gelhwangiger 

 unci Gelhwanqen-Kakadu, Salonkakadu, gelbivangiger Kakadit 

 mit gelber Hauhe ; Fr., Petit Cacatois a hiiiope jaune, Petit 

 Cacatois blanc a huppe jaune ; Diit., Kleene Geelkuif Kakketoe) 

 — Description. 



The Salphur-crested Cockatoo has, from antiquity to the present 

 time, been one of the greatest favourites among the well-known 

 parrots. It was described by Brisson as early as the year 1760, 

 treated of by Seba in 1764, and named by Gmelin in 1788, and it 

 had been previously mentioned by Aldrovandi and Gessner. It is 

 of pure white, with a deep sulphur-yellow crest, divided into two 

 parts, bending towards the back, but with the ends curved 

 towards the front (the first three or four feathers are white, the 

 rest a vivid yellow, so that the forehead appears white, and the 

 lovely yellow only becomes visible in excitement, when the 

 cockatoo erects its crest) ; there is a large round spot near the 

 ear of sulphur-yellow, inclining to orange ; skin on the nose 

 white ; eyes a deep dark brown ; naked skin round the eye 

 bluish- white ; feet blackish-grey ; claws black. The female 

 answers to the same description, but is said by Dr. Platen to 

 have a light reddish-brown iris. Rather less in size than a 

 crow (length, llin. to 12fin. ; wings, 8in. to 9^in. ; tail, 3Hn. 

 to 4in.). It is one of the smallest of the Cockatoos. It is a 

 native of Celebes, Bouton, Lombok, Timor, Floris, Sumbawa, and 

 the islands in Tomini Bay. 



The travellers Wallace, Meyer, and lately Platen, have 

 observed its habits in freedom, but give no particulars differing 

 from those mentioned in the Introduction to this work. S. Miiller 

 and von Martens frequently found it, as well as the Amazons, (fee, 

 in captivity amongst the natives, and kept on perches, or forked 

 sticks, with a double ring of buffalo horn fastened on the leg. 



Buffon describes its droll behaviour, lively and expressive 

 nods, and the raising and dropping of its crest ; and praises it as 

 being gentle, tractable, and unusually affectionate towards its 

 mistress. It is also said to be extremely clean, and therefore 



