Tin: .XT/./-/// /> COCKATOO. 



forward t.. the fullest extent. :m.| r-^-ai^lh -pmtd and closed li fan of an angry 



>|,:mi-li lad\, even f.-ather standing <>" ''"'I :nd hi* eyes sparkling with fii: <> be 



\..||.-\.-.| I'.. i ili tin* -onti'l- which ha. I xi start l.-d us. The cauae of thi* excitement was to be 

 f.niii'l in ill- i"-i-'ii- ..f two children. \\lio had ...in.- t.i liMik at the bird, and who by some 



.111- h:i<l .-\cit.-d 1,1- i r . He always objected to children. probabU it h good reason. 



u-m_- natural!} ini'.iM. from the effect of moulting, his temper was aroused by the , 

 <>f the ol.j.i-ts of his dislike. 



The plumage of this species is white with a very slight roseate tinge, and the crest 

 in whit*-. 



TIIK species of Cockatoo whirh i- nniion it tin- Si inn . . , , i M , ( , ..KATOO. It 



may readily U- .li-tin-m-li.-.! fnun the preceding bird by the bright yellow color of its Brest 

 :ui<l iis more pointed form. 



This bird is an inhaliitaiit of dim-rent parts of .\n-tnilia, and is especially common in 

 l>i.-iii.-n's Lni'l. \\here it ma\ IM- foiiiul in Hocks of a thousand in nutnlM-r. Owing to 

 the ease witli which it is obtain.-d. it is frequently brought to England, and is In-ld in much 

 estimation a.s a ]--i 



A Cockatoo which I hare lately seen, a young bird, displays admirably many peculiarities 

 of th*- Cockatoo natun-. 



As yet it is not a \>T\ :i.-.-..m|.li-li.-.i linguist, although it can repeat many words with 

 iini.-h tidt-lity. It o-rtainly has SOUK- notion of th*- meaning attached to certain words, as it 

 can distinguish ln-tw*-*-n tli*- \ariou* nn-rnU-i-x of the family, and wh*-n th*-y -nter the nn will 

 frequently ntt-r th*-ir name. Soni t will art in the name manner when they leave 



the room. It can laugh merrily, but in rather too loud a tone for sensitive earn, and promises 

 well for further a-<-oinjili.Hliin-nt>. Like others of the parrot triU-. it rejoice* greatly in 

 exercising ito sharp beak, and Ls very fond of biting to pieces every I -it of wood that may 

 come in its way. 



Kmpty cotton-reels are favorite toys, and it watched the gradual diminution of the thread 

 with iri'-at interest, knowing that it is sure to have the wooden reel after the thread haa been 

 II-.- 1 \Vli.-n tin- i-*-f| is jilaced on the outside of the cage the bird descends from ita perch, 

 pushes one of ita feet through the wires and with extended toes feels in every direction for 

 its toy. Wht-n tlit- jtositioti of the coveted article is found, the bird grasp- it with it* feet, 

 draws it through the wires, and bites it to pieces. Many times it has U--n known t> split a 

 reel with a sinirl*- l-ite. Sometimes its owners give it one of those flat wooden discs on whi< h 

 silk -riblMin has been wound, and iu such cases it always takes care to tuni th- disc edgeways 

 before attempting to bring it through the wires. 



So powerful is its beak that it can break up the shell of a periwinkle, or even a whelk, 

 and with its curved beak peck out the inhabitant. In a similar manner it will crack nuts to 

 pieces, and extract the kernel : but seems to do so merely for the pleasure of exercising its 



U-ak. as i- general)} allows th.- kernel to fall "M :!: i! Bsi MBsVtl it- If vtt bMtt|| '!' 



shell into many little pieces. 



When I saw it, the plumage was in very tin- order, and th*> crest with its double fan 



of bright yellow f.-atJu-rs had a remarkably fine effect an the bin! ruffled up its plumage, 



1 the crest, and began bowing and crying " Pretty Cocky ! " in a very excited state of 



mind. 



Although its beak is so powerful, it can climb up the hands or face of any one whom it 

 knows without doing any damage, whereas another Cockatoo of my acquaintance once inflicted 



Hiiuittini: but painful dama-e --n my tinp-r. as it lowered itself from my hand to its J--P ' 

 supj>os. that the bird found the substance of the finger \ieldingunder the pressure < 

 In-ak. and f,-arful lest it should fall, gripped the fingt-r in hoj- of xiving it^-lf. th.-n.bN intli.-t 



I rather severe wound, and brni-ini: the siirroun-ling irt.- t. -u<-h an extent that the 

 whole fm-.T swelled greatly, and for nearly a week could not be used. 



T! itoo seems to court notice even more than the parrot, and will .-mpl..\ various. 



manoeuvres in order t.. attract attention to its perfections. They are mostly 



