G34 



Mr. T. Carter 07i Licraetis pastinator. 



more nesting-places, each containing a young bird/' March, 

 is of course, one of our hottest and driest months, and 

 seems a very unlikely breeding-time, but perliaps I have 

 misunderstood the quotation or it was meant that the letter 

 was written in March, Mr. North also quotes from a note 

 of Mr. Keartland's that Licmetis nasica, which was formerly 

 abundant in Riverina, had deserted that district when sheep 

 took the place of cattle on the grazing stations, Now, in the 

 case of ]Mr. Muir's out-station, visited by me, the reverse 

 seems to be the case, as in former years cattle only were run 

 there, but in recent years, when Licmetis pastinator has 

 been abundant, sheep only have been kept. Most probably 

 the isolated corn-crop there is the great attraction at the 

 breediug-season. 



The average weight of Licmetis pastinator seems to be 

 about 1 lb. 10 oz., as two lots of four birds that were weighed 

 each amounted to 6h lbs. and a lot of three birds 5^ lbs. 



I may mention that Cockatoos make an excellent stew, the 

 meat being plump and tender. Wounded birds will savagely 

 attack and bite one's boots, and need to be carefully handled. 



Measurements of Licmetis pastinator in incites. 



