Cockatoos 463 



the bird succeeds in opening it very dexterously. "Taking one endwise in its 

 bill, and keeping it firm by a pressure of the tongue, it cuts a transverse notch 

 by a lateral sawing motion of the sharp-edged lower mandible. This done it 

 takes hold of the nut with its foot, and, biting off a piece of leaf, retains it in the 

 deep notch of the upper mandible, and, again, seizing the nut, which is prevented 

 from slipping by the elastic tissue of the leaf, fixes the edge of the lower mandible 

 in the notch, and by a powerful nip breaks off a piece of the shell. Again taking 

 the nut in its claws, it inserts the long and very slender point of the bill, and 

 picks out the kernel, which is seized hold of, morsel by morsel, by the extensile 

 tongue." 



Raven Cockatoos. Standing next to this, but distinguished at once by 

 having feathered cheeks, is a group (Calyptorhynchus] of seven exclusively 

 Australian species that may be known collectively as the Raven Cockatoos on 

 account of their brownish and blackish coloration. In all the tail is rather long, 

 with the outer tail-feathers shorter than the others, and crossed by a broad trans- 

 verse band of lighter color. The members of this genus, according to Gould, 

 are strictly arboreal and are evidently adapted to live upon the seeds of the Euca- 

 lypti, the honeysuckle trees (Banksia}, and other trees peculiar to the country 

 they inhabit ; but they diversify their food by occasionally devouring large cater- 

 pillars. They can scarcely be considered gregarious, but move about in small 

 companies. Their flight is rather powerful, but at the same time labored and 

 heavy ; and their voice is a low crying call totally different from the harsh scream- 

 ing notes of the typical Cockatoos. Although all are objects of more or less 

 interest, we have space for brief mention of but one, and this may well be the 

 Banksian Cockatoo (C. banksi) of East and South Australia. The male has the 

 entire plumage glossy greenish black, with a broad band of deep rich vermilion 

 across the middle of all but the two central tail-feathers, while the female is 

 similar, but has the head, sides of the neck, and wing-coverts pale yellow and the 

 lower surface is narrowly barred with the same ; the length is twenty-four inches. 

 They are suspicious, shy birds, difficult of approach, and usually seen singly or 

 in small flocks feeding among the honeysuckle and eucalyptus trees; their note 

 is a loud, hoarse call. Their two or three eggs are placed in holes usually very 

 high up in the eucalyptus trees. 



Helmeted Cockatoo. Closely allied to the last is the handsome Helmeted 

 or Ganga Cockatoo (Callocephalon galeatum} of southeastern Australia and 

 Tasmania, which is the sole tenant of its genus. About thirteen and a half 

 inches long, the male is slate-gray, with the top of the head, crest, and cheeks a 

 fine scarlet, while the female is similar, but has the crest gray and shows traces 

 of sulphur-yellow on the lower surface. It is a shy species, feeding on the seeds 

 of the gum and other trees. 



Typical Cockatoos. This brings us to the typical Cockatoos (Cacatua), of 

 which there are no less than seventeen species recognized, ranging practically 

 throughout the region covered by the subfamily. As already hinted, these are 

 the most gorgeously plumaged members of the group and the ones most frequently 

 kept in captivity, and in all but one the color is white, often tinged with rosy or 



