Cockatoos 46 1 



finds sufficient cover amongst the rocks. The following account is from Sir 

 George Grey: " During the day it remains hidden in holes under the roots of 

 trees or rocks, or very rarely perched on the boughs of trees with a very dense, 

 thick foliage. At these times it appears stupid from its profound sleep, and if 

 disturbed or taken from its hole, immediately runs and tries to hide itself again 

 in a heap of soft dry grass. About sunset it becomes lively, animated, and playful, 

 issues forth from its retreat, and feeds on grass, weeds, vegetables, fruit, seeds, 

 and roots. When eating grass, it grazes rather than feeds, nibbling the grass 

 in the manner of a rabbit or wombat. It sometimes climbs trees, but generally 

 remains upon the ground, and only uses its short wings for the purpose of aid- 

 ing its progress when running, balancing itself when on a tree, or in making a 

 short descent half jump, half flight from an upper to a lower bough. When 

 feeding, if pleased with its food, it makes a continual grunting noise. It is a 

 greedy bird, choice in its food, showing an evident relish for anything of which 

 it is fond. It cries repeatedly during the night, with a noise not very unlike 

 that of the Kaka, but not so loud. The Kakapo is a very clever and intelligent 

 bird, in fact, singularly so; contracts a strong affection for those that are kind 

 to it; shows its attachment by climbing about and rubbing itself against its 

 .friend; and is eminently a social and playful bird. It builds in holes under 

 trees and rocks and lays two or three white eggs about the size of a pullet's in 

 the month of February." 



The Cockatoos (Subfamily Cacatuince). Quite different from any we 

 have thus far considered are the Cockatoos, which form a small group of 

 some half a dozen genera and thirty species, having their headquarters in the 

 Australian region, whence they extend to the cast as far as the Solomon 

 Islands, north to the Philippines, and west as far as Celebes and Lom- 

 bok. They are mostly birds of large size, indeed among them are some of 

 the largest members of the entire suborder, their most marked external 

 characteristic being the possession of a long frontal crest, which serves to dis- 

 tinguish them from all other Parrots, except the genus Nymphicus, which is 

 also crested. The bill is short and very much deeper than long, with the upper 

 mandible gradually much compressed, the hook being nearly perpendicular and 

 provided underneath with a file-like surface. As already pointed out, the tongue 

 is simple and smooth. The bony ring which surrounds the socket of the eye 

 is complete and has a process extending from the lower part backward to the 

 base of the skull, the latter a character which serves at once to distinguish the 

 Cockatoos from the true Parrots (Psittacina). The tarsus is always short, and 

 the cere through which the nostrils open is not much swollen and is generally 

 naked, though sometimes feathered. The coloration of the plumage in the 

 Cockatoos is also quite different from that in other Parrots, the prevailing color 

 being white, occasionally gray or dark blackish brown, though often exhibiting 

 traces of red or yellow, especially on the crest, breast, and under surface of the 

 tail. In any event, the characteristic Parrot-green is absent, except as a faint 

 tinge on the wings of one species. 



The Cockatoos are social birds, going about at all seasons of the year in flocks 



