CHAPTER XXIII. 



Cemon--cresfed C 



Mf LTHOUGH I have seen thousands of these birds flying 

 about wild in Australia, and have heard their 

 shrill outcries high up in the air when their forms 

 were invisible from the ground, it was not until com- 

 paratively recent years that I had one of them in the 

 house. It was a young bird, perfectly tame, and was 

 given to me by an acquaintance. It had never been 

 kept in a cage, but was allowed to range about the 

 premises, indoors and out, with one wing clipped. It 

 had a cage, but only used it to sit on its top in the 

 day, and sleep in at night. It was so very tame, that 

 when it moulted I did not think it was worth while 

 cutting its wing again, as doing so certainly detracted 

 from the bird's appearance, so one day it wandered out 

 into the garden and flew away, never to return. 



I had inquiries made, but heard nothing more about 

 poor "Cocky", which I expect was caught and kept 

 by someone, for I think if he had been left to himself 

 he would have returned. I say he because the iris was 

 black; the female has a reddish-brown one. 



Scientific name: Cacatua galerita. 



