THE BANKSIAN COCKATOO. 139 



It imitates the cries of animals, especially the cackling of Hens 

 and the crowing of Cocks, and accompanies its cries by a flap- 

 ping of the wings. 



It is a native of the Moluccas, and is reared without dif- 

 ficulty. 



41. THE RED-VENTED COCKATOO. 



Psittacus Phillippinarum, LIN. Le petit Kakatoes des Phittipines, BUF. 

 Der Rothbauchige Kakatu, BECH. 



Description. This bird is about the size of the Grey Parrot, 

 and thirteen inches in length. The beak is white or pale flesh 

 colour, but grey at the root ; the circle of the eyes is yellowish 

 red ; the feet grey. The general colour of the plumage is 

 white, and the head is adorned with a tuft, which, however, is 

 not visible, except when elevated. Its feathers are scarcely 

 an inch and a half long, generally sulphur-coloured at the 

 root, and white at the point, though some of them are light 

 red. The two centre tail feathers are white ; the rest, half 

 way down from the root, sulphur-coloured on the inner plume. 

 The feathers of the belly and tail coverts are red, tipped with 

 white. 



Observations. The Red-vented Cockatoo is a native of the 

 Phillippine Islands. Its chief recommendations are its beauty 

 and tameness, as it is unable to speak, and betrays an envious 

 disposition when it sees other Parrots caressed. The cry of 

 " Aiai Miai" is very disagreeable, and it never utters the 

 word " Cockatoo." It may be treated like others of the same 

 species. 



42. THE BANKSIAN COCKATOO. 



Psittacus Banksii, LIN. Le Kakatoes Noir, BUF. Der Banksche Ka- 

 katu, BECH. 



Description. This is undoubtedly the most beautiful, the 

 rarest, and most costly, of the Cockatoos. It is about the size 

 of the Red and Blue Macaw, and from twenty-two to thirty 

 inches in length. Its thick beak is yellow, tipped with black ; 

 the iris is red ; the feet black. The general colour of the 

 plumage is black ; the crest feathers are tolerably long, but, as 

 in the last-mentioned species, when not elevated, lie perfectly 

 flat ; on each of them is a yellow spot exactly at the point. 

 The wing coverts are similarly ornamented ; the feathers on 

 the upper part of the breast and on the vent are edged with 



