46 Dr. A. B. Meyer's Field-notes 



As to the colour of the iris, I can state that the specimens 

 which I got from the islands near Kwandang had beautiful red 

 eyes, but the specimens from the shores of the Gulf of Tomini 

 brown, even blackish ones. I therefore at first supposed that 

 it had differently coloured eyes according to the habitat ; 

 but of the four living Buton specimens mentioned above, 

 three possessed a black iris, and one a brownish one ; further, 

 a living bird, which I got in September 1871 from Tilamutan 

 (see above) , showed a dark-coloured iris, which by and by be- 

 came reddish (it accompanied me to Europe in the year 1872), 

 whereas another living specimen, which I took with me to 

 Europe from Kwandang, kept its beautiful red eyes. I there- 

 fore believe that the young bird has dark eyes, and the old 

 one red ones ; and such a change of colour has its parallels. 



Also the yellow of the plumage is much more intense in 

 aged specimens than in young ones ; not only are the cheeks 

 yellowish, but a lovely velvet-like yellow tint is spread over 

 the whole bird, giving a special charm to it. 



At Posso I first saw Cacatua sulphurea in large flocks on 

 trees near the sea-shore at sunset. It was a splendid tropical 

 evening ; and they enjoyed themselves very much by making a 

 horrible noise not often heard on Celebes, and therefore not 

 easily to be forgotten. I could not reach the birds with 

 my gun, they kept too high ; but the following morning I 

 knocked some down, which at first appeared to me to be larger 

 than those from Kwandang ; afterwards I could not find any 

 difference in size. The village of Posso is a fort, the natives 

 being almost constantly at war with their neighbours, and even 

 when I was among them ; they are head-hunters, like the 

 Dayaks of Borneo, and keep the skulls of their enemies 

 in a hut in the middle of the village. There is a group of 

 large trees between the houses ; and at noon I saw some 

 white Cacatua sleeping in the foliage, a striking contrast of 

 peace in nature to war among mankind. I left those pretty 

 birds undisturbed in their high resting-places. Also in South 

 Celebes I saw Cacatua sulphurea ouly on high trees. They 

 feed on forest-fruits avid, where they find them, on fruits 

 from the native plantations, such as cocoanuts, bananas, 

 Indian corn. Their cry in the forest is loud and shrill. 



