INSESSORES. 7 



of the country where few collections have been formed. With 

 the exception of a specimen brought home by Captain Cham- 

 bers, R.N., and another in the collection of Mr. Bankier, my 

 own specimens are all that I have ever seen ; the whole of 

 these were collected at Port Essington ; but, as it was ob- 

 served by Captain Sturt at the Depot, in Central Australia, 

 we may uifer that its range extends over all the intermediate 

 country ; and that no bird is more common on the Victoria 

 is certain, for Mr. Elsey informed me he saw it there in flocks 

 of millions. 



The Blood-stained Cockatoo inhabits swamps and wet 

 grassy meadows, and is often to be seen in company with its 

 near ally, the Cacatua galerita, but I am informed it is even 

 more shy and difficult of approach than that bird. It is 

 doubtless attracted to the swampy districts by the various 

 species of Orchidaceous plants that grow in such localities, 

 upon the roots of which at some seasons it mainly subsists. 



But little difference occurs either in the size or the colouring 

 of the sexes, and I have young birds, which, although a third 

 less in size, closely assimilate in every respect to the adult ; so 

 much so that an examination of the bill, which during 

 immaturity is soft and yielding to the touch, is necessary to 

 distinguish them. 



General plumage white, with the exception of the basal 

 portions, the feathers of the lores, and sides of the face, which 

 are stained with patches of blood-red, and the base of the inner 

 webs of the primaries, secondaries, and tail-feathers with fine 

 sulphur-yellow ; bill yellowish white ; feet mealy brown. 



Total length 15 inches; bill 1-|-; wing lOf ; tail 6 ; tarsi 



Other species of white Cockatoos nearly allied to this bird 

 occur in the islands immediately to the northward of Aus- 

 tralia, some of which extend their range to the Philippines. 



