U-2 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



not so rich as, that of the male, and has an irregularly- 

 shaped spot of yello\vish--n-hite near the tip of each 

 of the feathers of the head, crest, cheeks, and wing- 

 coverts ; the mider surface brownish-black crosse 1 by 

 numerous narrow irregular bars of dull sulphur-yellow ; 

 the under tail-coverts crossed by several bars of mLiigled 

 yellow and dull scarlet; the lateral tail-feathers dull 

 scarlet, crossed by numerous irregular bars of black, 

 which are narrow at the base of the feathers and 

 gradually increa-^e in breadth towards the tip." Hab., 

 Western Australia. 



Gould ("Handbook," Vol. II., p. 17) says: "As 

 might be expected, its general economy closely 

 resembles that of the other members of the genus. 

 Except in the breeding season when it pairs, it may 

 often be observed in companies of from six to fifteen 

 in number. 



" It breeds in the holes of trees, where it deposits its 

 snow-white eggs on the soft dead wood. They are 

 generally placed in trees so difficult of access that even 

 the natives dislike to climb them. Those given to 

 ■Gilbert by the son of the colonial chaplain were taken 

 by a native from a hole in a very high white gum, in 

 the last week in October ; they are white, one inch and 

 ■eight lines long by one inch and four lines broad. 



" It flies slowly and heavily, and while on the wing 

 ■utter.s a very harsh and grating cry, resembling the 

 native name." 



Jamrach imported an example of this species in 1885: 

 it has been exhibited at the London Zoological Gardens, 

 and may possibly also have got into private hands, but 

 it 13 very rare in the market. 



G.\NGA OB. Gang-Gang Cockatoo (Callocephaloii 

 galeatum). 



Slate-grey; alU the featheo-s excepting the flights and 

 tail-feathers with greyish white edges, less distinct on 

 under surface ; secondaries and outer wing-ooverts witli 

 a greenish tinge on outer webs ; head, with the excep- 

 tion of the chin bright scarlet ; beak paJe horn-colom- ; 

 feet maily-black ; iridies blackish-brown. Female with 

 pale grey bars on the flight and tail-feathers ; the crest 

 grey instead of scarlet : the feathers of the under surface 

 edged with sulphur yellow and dull red; the under tail- 

 coverts with dull yellow bars. Hab., vSouth-Eastern 

 Australia and Tasmania. 



All that Gould could say of the habits of this species 

 ■(" Handbook," Vol. II., p." 29) was : — " That it frequents 

 'the most- lofty trees, and feeds on the seeds of the 

 ■various Eiicali/pti." 



A. J. Caimpibe'll (" Nests and Eggs," pp. 610, 611) sayr, : 

 — " To this day we are very much in the dark about 

 ■the Gang-Gang, especially in reference to its nidifica- 

 tion. Of course, like most Cockatoos, it lays in holes in 

 tall forest trees. The only egg I have seen is a speci- 

 men which Mr. Keartland has" kindly permitted me to 

 Tedesoribe from his collection, said to have been taken 

 ■from the spout of a living eucalypt tree near 

 Warragul, Victoria, October 20, 1897. 



"The late Mr. Gregory inform-ed me thait he knew 

 ■of an instance of five young Gang-Gangs (having been 

 "taken from a nest in the Strathlxngie Ranges. 



"The Gang-Gang has the repuitation of being easily 

 teamed. It is not unlike an African Parrot, with fore- 

 he.td, creet and cheeks {-oarlet." Mr. Canipbell thus 

 describes the nest and eggs : — " Nest.— A hole or hollow 

 In a tall tree in thick forevst." 



" ^gg^- — Clutch, four to five ; round oval in shape ; 

 texture of shell somewhat coarse ; surface without giloss ; 



colour, puTe white. Dimensions m inches : 1.31 by 1.08 ; 

 according to Le Souef : (1) 1.28 by .92, (2) 1.25 by .94." 



Dr. Greene says ("Panxjts in Captivity," Vol. III., 

 p. 131) : — " Authors vai-y gre.rtly in their estimate of 

 the Hehneted Cockatoo ; some declaring that it makes a 

 most charming oage-ibird and pet, while others, on the 

 contrary, give it a character for peevishness, morose- 

 iiess. and, in fjct, everything thait a pet should not 

 possess." 



I have only seen Mr. Seth-Smith's example, and 

 (apart from its rarity) it struck nie as beinu anything 

 but an interesting Ijird. Russ, however, speaks well of 

 the bird : a Mr. Westerman, of Amsterdam, h:id one 

 which was a. good talker. 



The London Zoological! Society first acquired a male 

 of this species in 1859, and in 1864 a female was 

 secured ; since then other examples have been added ta 

 the Regent's Park coliJection. Whereas the lat€> Dr. 

 Greene regarded this Cockatoo as delicate and short- 

 lived. Dr. Rus.? says of it: — "Vigorous and enduring, 

 can be wintered without risk in an unhealed room," 

 and as Dr. Greene never possessed the species I should 

 accept Dr. Russ ' stateraient as more likely to be correot. 



Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo {Cacatua 

 galerita). 



White with sulphur yellow crest, the feathers of the 

 head and neck are pale yeililow at the base, the ear- 

 coverts aa-e sometimes washed "with tlie same colour, as 

 are the bases of the inner webs of the flights and tail- 

 feathers ; tile beak ishlack. the feet blackish, with black 

 claws ; the cere and naked skin round the eye ■white ; 

 the iris deep brown to reddish brown. Female smaller, 

 the beak shorter and ■with shorter terminal hook. Hab.. 

 Au.stralia and Tasmania. 



Mr. Gould says of the present species (" Handbook," 

 Vol. II., pp. 3, 4): — "As may be readily imagined, 

 this bird is not regarded with favour by the agricul- 

 turist, ujion whose fields of newly-sown grain and 

 ripening maize it commits the greatest devastation ; it 

 is consequently hunted and shot down wherever it is 

 found, a circumstance which tends much to lessen its 

 numbers. It evinces a decided preference for the open 

 plains and cleared lands, rather than for the dense 

 brushes near the coast; and, except ■'vhen feeding or 

 reposing on the trees after a repast, the presence of a 

 flock, which sometimes amounts to thousands, is certain 

 to be indicated by their screaming notes, the discord- 

 ance of which may be easily conceived by those who 

 have heard the peculiarly loud, piercing, grating scream 

 of the bird in captivity, always remembering the im- 

 mense increase of the din occasioned by the large 

 number of 'birds emitting their harsh notes at the same 

 moment ; still I considered this annoyance amply com- 

 pensated by their sprightly actions and the life their 

 snowy forms imparted to the dense and never-varying 

 green of the Australian forest — a feeling participated 

 in by Sir Thomas Mitchell, who says, ' Amidst the 

 umbrageous foliage, forming dense masses of ^ade, the 

 white Cockatoos sported like spirits of light.' 



" The situations chosen for the purpose of nidification 

 vai-y with the nature of the locality the bird inhabits ; 

 the eggs are usuaUy deposited in tlie holes of trees, but 

 they are also placed in fissures in the rocks wherever 

 they may present a oo-nvenient site ; the crevices of the 

 white cliffs bordering the Murray, in South Australia, 

 are annually resorted to for this" purpose by thousands 

 of this bird, and are said to lie completely honeycombed 

 by them. The eggs are two in number, of a pure white, 

 rather pointed at the smaller end." 



