THE COCKATOOS, 147 



long, light-yellow crest feathers, hanging towards the back ; the 

 reverse side of the quills has the inner web yellow, and the 

 reverse of the tail feathers at the base is yellow ; the beak 

 black ; the cere grey ; the eyes dark brown ; a large featherless 

 blue circle round the eyes ; the feet grey, with black scales and 

 claws. Generally it is nearly as large in size as a raven, but 

 often much smaller (length, 12|in. to 14in. ; wings, lOin. to 

 10|in. ; tail, 5^in. to G^in.). 



It is a native of Solomon Islands, New Ireland, and New 

 Britain. In the last-named place it is said by Layard to be 

 exceedingly common, to be killed in large numbers, and to 

 afford a very savoury soup. It is also frequently tamed by the 

 natives. It is still rare in the trade, as well as at bird shows. 



CHAP. L.— THE EED-CRESTED COCKATOO. 



Psittacus moluccensis, Gml. 



Rose-crested Cockatoo (Ger., MolukJcen-Kahadu, rothhduhiger 

 Kakadu, Rothhaiibeii-Kakadit ; Fr., Cacatois a hiqope rouge ; 

 Dut., Rooduif Kakketoe) — Physical Characteristics — Speaking 

 Capacity. 



This handsome cockatoo, which Edwards described in 1751, and 

 pictorially delineated, which Gmelin moreover named scienti- 

 fically in 1788, has, like many other birds, been much confused, 

 or mistaken, by the old authors. 



The forehead, head, and sides of the neck are pure white ; the 

 front crest feathers white, the next vermilion on the outer web, 

 and white at the point and inner web ; the rest have the outer 

 web dark, and the inner web light, vermilion. All the upper 

 and under parts of the body are white, with a rosy shimmer, and 

 a yellowish tone over them in a bright light ; the quills are 

 light yellow on the reverse side ; the tail feathers, on that side, 

 are orange-yellow ; the lower and hinder part of the body 

 is rose-coloured ; the beak black ; the cere a dark bluish- 

 grey ; the eyes black or dark-brown ; eye cere bluish-white ; 

 the feet a blue blackish-grey ; scales and claws black. Almost 

 as large as a raven, it appears larger than it really is on 



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