P A R R O T. 



the one, and none given to the other, that one in- 

 stantly divides it fairly with its companion. This is 

 a beautiful instinct ; and perhaps it is not so strong 

 in any other department of nature, as among the 

 smaller members of the parrot family. In many ani- 

 mals we find other instincts, the strength of which we 

 cannot fail to admire ; but this is one with which we 

 are not only delighted, but from the example of which 

 \ve may actually learn to " love one another." 



In the southern islands of the Pacific there are 

 some members of the parrot family which retain the 

 general shape of the parrots properly so called, and 

 have the tongue large and fleshy like them, though 

 the bill is differently formed, arid the muscles which 

 work it are less powerful. We shall mention only 

 one of these, because much is still wanting before we 

 can correctly determine what difference of hubit is 

 associated with the different structure of their most 

 important organ, the bill. 



Nestor (P. Nestor). This bird is a native of New 

 Zealand ; and it is almost as anomalous in the parrot 

 family as some others of the New Zealand birds are 

 in the families to which they are most nearly allied. 

 It may possibly exist in Australia, and in some of 

 the adjoining islands, but in the meantime we must 

 consider it as a museum bird. Its geiu'ral plumage 

 is sombre compared with that o the parrots. Its 

 head is more slender, its bill more elongated, and 

 the upper mandible straighter ; but it is about the 

 size of the larger parrots, and in the character of the 

 feathers it is dressed in a parrot's plumage. It is 

 ab'out fifteen inches in length ; and the general colour 

 of the plumage is reddish, passing into bronze in 

 some parts, and into yellow or orange in others. 

 The bill is lengthened, the upper mandible compressed 

 and hooked at the tip, furrowed on the under side to 

 receive the lap of the under mandible, which is com- 

 pressed and but slightly convex in its outline. The 

 wings are both long and broad ; and the tail is of 

 mean length, strongly fortified by coverts, square at 

 the end, and having the points of the shafts of the 

 feathers extending a little beyond the webs. The 

 bill is brownish grey, with the tip of the upper man- 

 dible dusky; the front and top of the head are mot- 

 tled with greyish white in different shades, with a 

 trace of green ; the cheeks and upper sides of the 

 neck are yellow and red, and the feathers small and 

 loose ; the remainder of the neck and the under parts 

 are dull red, with brownish green margins to the 

 feathers ; the upper and under coverts of the tail are 

 deep red, and the wings and tail feathers are brownish 

 green. Inhabiting a colder latitude than the typical 

 pairots, this bird is less brilliant and more mottled in 

 its plumage ; but little or nothing is known of its 

 habits. 



All the varieties hitherto enumerated have the bill 

 and tongue so formed as that they can subsist chiefly 

 upon fruits, though it is probable that the last-men- 

 tioned one lives in great part upon farinaceous roots. 

 There still remain a sort of two sections of the family 

 which have the bill constructed for this purpose, but 

 which differ from all those already mentioned in other 

 particulars. They are chiefly natives of Australia, 

 though some have been observed in the islands 

 farther to the north and east. The most strikingly 

 beautiful and characteristic section are, , 



COCKATOOS. These are very handsome birds, ele- 

 gant in the form of their bodies, and with beautiful 

 crests, which they can erect or depress at pleasure. I 



They arc also birds of very gentle disposition, easily 

 tamed, very susceptible to kindness, capable of a good 

 deal of obedience, and not so prone to gnaw and do 

 mischief as the marcaw and parrots. They are not, 

 however, capable of learning to articulate words with 

 any thing like perfection, or even at all in most of 

 the species, though they enunciate very distinctly the 

 word " cockatoo," which has been adopted as their 

 general name. There are as many known species of 

 them as eleven or twelve ; but we must content our- 

 selves with a mere notice of one or two. 



Great Wfnte Cockatoo (I', cristatus). This is a large 

 and handsome bird, seventeen inches in length, and 

 nearly as heavy as a common fowl. Its general plu- 

 mage is while, except the primary quills and the 

 outer feathers of the tail, which are sulphur-yellow 

 on the middle of their inner webs. The bill is black- 

 ish, and the cere at the base of it is quite black ; the 

 irides are dark brown; the crest is five inches in 

 length. It is a native of the eastern islands, and is 

 often exhibited in Europe, where its manners are 

 amusing, though its articulation is confined to the 

 word already mentioned. 



Red-crested Cockatoo (P. Moluccensls). This spe- 

 cies is the same length with the former, but rather 

 stouter ; and it is a particularly handsome bird, though 

 more shy than its congener with the white crest. It 

 can hardly be taught to articulate words, but it imi- 

 tates very readily the voices of various other animals. 

 Its bill is bluish black, with a black cere ; the irides 

 are deep red ; and the feet are leaden-grey, with 

 black claws. The general plumage is white, but 

 glossed over with a general blush of rose colour. 

 The tuft, which can be either depressed over the 

 hind head or erected, is very large, the feathers being 

 six inches in length. Some of the feathers are orange 

 on the under sides, and the middle feathers are red. 

 It is a native of the eastern isles as well as the former, 

 but it is a hardy bird, and bears easily the climate of 

 this country. 



Banks s Cockatoo (P. Eanksit). This is a large 

 and very splendid bird, measuring seven and twenty 

 inches in length, though a considerable portion of 

 that is occupied by the tail, which is much longer 

 than in most of the cockatoos. Some authors have 

 made it the type of a separate genus ; and it certainly 

 has peculiar characters. The crest, when in a state 

 of repose, lies flat and concealed ; and the upper 

 mandible is so much hooked that the tip of it ap- 

 proaches near to the throat, while it is so broad that 

 it almost conceals the under one. The bill is yel- 

 lowish blue, the feet black, and the irides red. The 

 prevailing colour of the plumage is black; but the 

 cheeks and a portion at the base of the crest are 

 mottled with yellow, and there is a tinge of yellow 

 spotted over the under part. The wings are of the 

 same colour with the general plumage-, and so are 

 the two middle feathers of the tail ; but the lateral 

 feathers, though blackish at the base and the tips, 

 have the middle crimson, crossed by five or six burs 

 of black. This bird is, however, subject to consider- 

 able varieties. It is a native of Australia, where it 

 appears to be rather a rare bird, as but few specimens 

 of it are brought to Europe. 



Three-coloitr- crested Cockatoo (P. ). This 



is rather a rare bird, but it is one of singular beauty, 

 especially in the crest, which consists often principal 

 feathers, five on each side, pointed, and standing apart 

 from each other when erected. It is about eleven 01 



