COCKATOOS. 99 



migrations, according to the " Old Bushman," they may, however, congregate in 

 immense numbers, and may then be seen flying at great heights. With regard to 

 these periodical movements, the same observer writes that these birds are " migrants 

 to and from different districts, and their migrations are regulated by the state of 

 the blossoms of the gums and honeysuckles upon which they feed ; not that they 

 ever entirely left our forests, for I rarely at any time went out without seeing a 

 pair or so. But the large flocks of them only come at such times as the trees are 

 full of honey, and depart as suddenly as they come. They are always in larger or 

 smaller flocks, do not associate with the other parrots, and are never seen feeding 

 on the ground." The female lays from three to four eggs ; and in their first 

 plumage the young have the breast yellow, with scarcely any tinge of red, while 

 the band on the nape of the neck is scarcely visible. In captivity this parrot is by 

 no means a desirable species, since it is exceedingly noisy and very difiicult to keep 

 for long. In this state it will eat insects and seeds, as well as honey and syrup. 



The Arfak parrot (Oreopsittacus arfaJci) already referred to as 



having fourteen tail-feathers, is a native of the Arfak Mountains in 



New Guinea, and only measures 6 inches in length. The general colour is dark 



green, with the cheeks and ear-coverts blue, a tinge of red on the abdomen, the 



tail-feathers black, with red tips, and the beak black. 



Family Cyclopsittacid^. 



Two genera of parrots from Australia, New Guinea, and the Eastern Malayan 

 Islands, known as Neopsittacus and Cyclopsittacus, are regarded by Count Salvadori 

 as indicating a distinct family of the order allied to the lories. While agreeing 

 with the two preceding families in having the under surface of the hook of the bill 

 nearly snKX)th, they differ in that the bill is deeper than long, and much swollen 

 on the sides, the profile of the symphysis of the lower mandible being highly 

 convex. In these respects these parrots serve to connect the lories with the 

 following families. The nature of the tongue is unfortunately still unknown. 

 Perhaps the best known representative of the group is the iris parrot (N. iris), 

 from the island of Timor — a small, green parrot, measuring 7| inches in length, 

 with a yellow-orange bill. There is but one other species of this genus (iV. musschen- 

 broeki), from New Guinea ; all the species of the allied genus Cyclopsittacus being 

 distinguished by the dark colour of their beaks. 



The Cockatoos. 



Family CacATUID^. 



The remaining groups of the order are distinguished from those already 

 noticed by the nature of the under surface of the hook of the beak. This, in place 

 of being smooth or with fine longitudinal striae, is marked by a series of bold 

 transverse ridges, running from either side of the middle line in a more or less 

 oblique direction, so as to produce a file-like surface. Moreover, in all cases the 

 tongue is quite simple, being unprovided with any kind of brush or fringe. 



