130 Order Psitlaciformes, Family Cacatoidae. 



1 )('sci-i])ti()i).— Male — C'l-owii of iIk' licud. b;nk aiul si;li^s of 

 llie iRM-k. also cliest, emtM-ald gi-eeii ; forehead and cheeks, 

 «;i-i'eiiish bine; jircHMi of llie cliesf tin,<>ed wiiii yellow, the 

 t'eat'hei-s also miniiU'ly e(l!i;ed wilh hrowii. iii\ini; llieiii some 

 what of a scalelike appt^aranci' ; leathers of llie back, bluish, 

 will) a iiiiiinle edgiiiii (d' dark bi-o\\ ii ; rnni]», dee]) sc;irh't ; 

 slionlder and spni-ious wiui;', brijihr bliu'; sju)! of rich yellow 

 litdow llie slionlder ; \\\\\<j; coverts, blue with green tinge; 

 primaries, brown, wit h I w o-thirds of outer web dark blue ; np])er 

 tail coverts, rich green; lw(i central tail feathers hhiish gr<'eii, 

 remaining feathers blue tipped with white; under tail ciiwrls. 

 while; a1)domen, rich yellow, becoming lighter in the ciuitre; 

 bill, dark horn coloni-; fi-el. ashy grey; ii-is, brown. !'\'iiial<' — 

 All ujijK'r sm-race. greenish grey, each feather minutely 

 margined with dark brown; under snrfaci", grey willi a Ncllowish 

 tinge, each f<'atlier luiiintxdy edged \\'\\]\ dark brown, giving a 

 s<-ale-like appearance; wing coverts, bluish giey; ifrinnii'ies, 

 pah' blue on onter \\ebs, dai'k bro\\n inner webs, a conspicnons 

 white spot near the base of lite li\e inner feaihei-s; lumj) and 

 upper tail coNcrls. i-icli dark green, two ccnlral tail fea liners 

 bluish green, remainder light blue tipiH-d v.ilh white; undei-tail 

 co\'erts. bluish white; iris, brown; bill, bluish grey; feet, ashy 

 grey. 



i)isti-ibnti(Ui. — Ovim- ilm greater i»ai't of New Sonth \\'ah^s. 

 \'ic(oria. and South \;!wralia. bnl does not inhabit thi- dry 

 interioi-. 



Ilabiial. — l'r<'rers the ojk'Ii forest c(!niilry to either 0[)en 

 plains or bush. ^Vhere the large gnnis i /Jiicdli/jitHs rosi i-iita ] 

 tloni-ish. so will this bird invariably b- fonnd. be it ranges, 

 nndnlaling country, or low and s\^■ampy. 



Habits. — At lU'sting time these bii-ds are met with in ])aij-s, 

 or wirh the ycuing broods. In llu' winter they congi-egate in 

 flocks, very ofl<'n n]» to a hundred or more. When feeding they 

 mo\'e o\er the gronnd \ery ra])idly, and spend much time on tlio 

 gronnd in seai'ch of food. They will often pei'cdi along the 

 (tead 'hram-hes (d' a tree toji in c<)mpact order chattering to one 

 another, and often s(pi;'.bbling between the niah' birds. 



l-'light. — Strong and at times nndnlaling. 



Call. — .\ remarkably sweet whistlinii' note resend)ling a 

 song, and when a nnniber are together it has a Xi'vy jileasing 

 elVect. It has a shrill whisiU' wlien alarmed and as a warning 

 note. 



l^-'odd. — (Ji-ass seeds id' many kinds. Tliev ai-e very inotl'en 

 sive birds, 



