cook's-cockatoo. 399 



Some Warblers were eager their carols to sing, 

 And thus they delighted the Vulturid King. 



of tlie Linnean Society ; it is about twenty-two iociies 

 long ; the general plumage is black ; the feathers of the head 

 long, and forming a fine crest ; tail long, the two middle fea- 

 thers of which are black, the others the same at the base and 

 ends, but the middle, for more than one tliird of their length, a 

 fine crimson. 



This bird has been called, by some authors, Banksian- 

 CoCKATOO, but very improperly as anotlier, 4be Psittacus 

 Banksiif is distinguished by that name. The Banksian Cockatoo 

 mentioned in page 382 is tlie Cookii described above, and not 

 the Banksii ; this last is by no means so striking or splendid a 

 bird as the former, and, therefore, it has not been deemed 

 necessary to describe it. 



It is to be regretted that those to whom the opportunity is 

 given of bestowing names do not bestow them with more sci- 

 entific discrimination. How much soever we may respect the 

 names of Cook and Banks, surely this bird might have a much 

 more appropriate and discriminating specific term« applied 

 to it : for example, Psittacus niger ; or, if this name be already 

 engaged, some other, equally discriminating and appropriate, 

 should be given. In science^ the practice of distinguishing persons 

 rather than facts ought to be discarded. It was this mode of 

 giving names that contributed to retard and obscure, for ages, 

 the science of chemistry. 



