FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



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

 shaped spot of yellowish-white near the tip of each 

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

 coverts ; the under surface brownish-black, crosse-l by 

 numerous narrow irregular bars of dull sulphur-yellow ; 

 the under tail-coverts crossed by several bars of mingled 

 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 increase in breadth towards the tip." Hab., 

 Western Australia. 



Gould ("Handbcok," 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 

 litters 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 is very rare in the market. 



GANGA OR GANG-GANG COCKATOO (Callocephalon 

 ijaleatum). 



Slate-grey ; all th<? feathers excepting the flights and 

 tail-feathers with greyish white edges, less distinct on 

 under surface; secondaries and outer wing-coverts with 

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

 tion of the chin bright scarlet ; beak pale horn-colouir ; 

 feet mealy-black ; irides blackish-brown. Female with 

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

 grey instead of scarlet ; the 'feathers of the iinder surface 

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

 coverts with dull yellow bars. Hab., South-Eaetern 

 Australia and Tasmania. 



All that Gould could say of the habits of this 1 species 

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

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

 various Eucalypti." 



A. J. Campbell (" Nests and Eggs," pp. 610, 611) saye : 

 " 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 Shave seen is a, speci- 

 men which Mr. Kea.rtland has kindly permitted me to 

 redesoribe from his collection, said to have 'been taken 

 from the spout of a living eucalypb tree near 

 Warragul, Victoria, October 20, 1897. 



"The laite Mr. Gregory informed me that he knew 

 of an instance of five young Gang-Gangs having been 

 taken from a nest in the Strathbogie Ranges. 



"The Gang-Gang has the Tepuitation of being easily 

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

 head, crest and cheeks scarlet." Mr. Campbell thus 

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

 In a tall tree in thick forest. ' ' 



" Eggs. Clutch, four to five ; round oval in shape ; 

 texture of shell somewhat coarse ; surface without gloss ; 



colour, pure white. Dimensions in inches : 1.31 by 1.08 ; 

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



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

 p. 131): "Authors vary greatly in their intimate of 

 the Helmeted Cockatoo ; some declaring tiiat it makes a 

 most charming ea^e-'bird and pet, while others, on the 

 contrary, give it a character for peevishness, morose- 

 ness, and, in I'.ut. ru ry thing that a pet should not 

 possess." 



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

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

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

 the bird: a Mr. \\'< sterman, of Amsterdam, had one 

 which was ;i uoud 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 IH;MI added to 

 the Regent's Park collection. Whereas the late Dr. 

 Greene regarded this Cockatoo as delicate and short- 

 lived. Dr. Buas says of it: "Vigorous and enduring, 

 can be wintered without risk in an unheated room," 

 and as Dr. Greene never possessed the species I should 

 accept Dr. Russ' statement as more likely to be correct. 



GREATER SULPHUR-CRESTED COCKATOO (Cacatua 

 galerita). 



White with sulphur yellow crest, the feathers of the 

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

 coverts are sometimes washed with the same colour, as 

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

 feathers; the beak is black, 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.. 

 Australia and Tasmania. 



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

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

 this bird is not regarded with favour by the agricul- 

 turist, upon 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 when 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 shade, the 

 white Cockatoos sported like spirits of light.' 



" The situations chosen for the purpose of nidification 

 vary with the nature of the locality the bird inhabits ; 

 the eggs are usually deposited in the holes of trees, but 

 they are also placed in fissures in the rocks wherever 

 they may present a convenient 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 be completely honeycombed 

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

 rather pointed at the smaller end." 



