158 KATUBAL HISTOEY SKETCHES. 



class only found in southern climates, and which for 

 beauty of plumage, have no rivals in the old world the 

 Parrots, and I do not believe any country can be richer 

 than this, certainly not in individuals, whatever it may 

 be in varieties of this tribe of birds. At particular sea- 

 sons they swarm over the whole bush. I do not know 

 how many different species are met with throughout this 

 country. We had about twenty kinds, more or less, 

 common in our forests, and I have seen many other 

 species, among them the cockatoo parrots, from other 

 parts, which were strangers to us. 



The cockatoos, on account of their size, stand first on 

 the list. 



The Blade CocTcatoo, or black toucan for it has not 

 the crest of the cockatoo, is the largest of all this spe- 

 cies. It is a fine bold-looking, but by no means hand- 

 some bird ; the body full and round, larger than a crow ; 

 the tail long and spreading; the wings round when 

 extended ; the head large, the beak very powerful ; and 

 the old bird has a kind of crest which it can erect when 

 angry or frightened, and which gives it a very ferocious 

 appearance. The ground colour over all is deep-black, 

 the feathers edged with yellow, which, as well as the 

 spots on the tail, is much brighter in the young than in 

 the old birds : the cheeks sulphur-yellow, and the tail- 

 feathers spotted with the same colour. An old bird will 

 measure about two foot from the beak to the end of the 

 tail. The black cockatoo was common in our forests from 

 about December, when the old and young birds came 



