14G THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



minutely, and Bechstein, though shortly, speaks of it as a cage 

 bird. As all unmeaning or inappropriate scientific names had 

 been dropped, it was necessary to seek a new one, and the above 

 name of Lesson's (1831) was applied to it. It is pure white, 

 with a long, straight, broad crest, falling towards the back, 

 without any yellow feathers ; the quills and tail feathers are 

 light yellow underneath ; the beak black ; the cere covered with 

 white feathers ; eyes black, dark-brown, or deep-red ; a broad 

 bluish-white naked circle round the eye ; the feet blue-grey, 

 with black scales and claws. Almost as large as a raven, but 

 sometimes much smaller (length, llfin. to 14|-in. ; wings, lOin. 

 to llin. ; tail, oin. to Giin.). 



Its habitat appears to cover a considerable region. It is 

 found in the Eastern Moluccas, but over what extent is not yet 

 known with certainty. The White-crested Cockatoo is said to 

 speak better than other species. Lord Buxton, who bred a cross 

 between this species and the Leadbeater Cockatoo, in freedom, 

 in his park, thinks the White-crested Cockatoo is the most 

 talented and least cunning of all. In particular, these birds 

 develop an astonishing ingenuity in opening any kind of locks 

 on cage doors or foot chains. Mr. A. E. Blaauw says, however, 

 that it is among the worst screamers, and can really make a 

 most distressing noise. It appears in the markets less frequently 

 than its fellows. 



CHAP. XLIX.— THE BLUE-EYED COCKATOO. 



Psittacua ophthalmicus, Scl. 



Blue -eyed Cockatoo (Ger., Brill enhalcadu, Salomon . Kakadu, 

 Kakadii ndt blauem Augenkreis, blaudugiger Kakadu, Nackt- 

 augen-Kakadu, Kakadu ndt gelher hdngender Hauhe ; Fr., 

 Cacatois oplithalmique, Cacatois a yeux bleus, Cacatois a 

 lunettes; Dut., Blauivoog Kakketoe) — Description. 



This cockatoo has only been known since the year 1862, when 

 a living specimen was presented to the Zoological Gardens, 

 Regent's Park, and described and drawn by Dr. Sclater in the 

 "Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London." It is 

 white ; the feathers on the forehead are white, and then come 



