266 Mr. ViGOKs's and Dr. Horsfield's Description of the 



command a prospect of the country. I cannot consider it as 

 migratory." 



Tribus. Scaxsores. Aiict. 



Fam. PsiTTACiD.E. Leach. 



The species of this family found in x4ustralia are numerous, 

 and they exhibit a considerable variety of form. These, with 

 the exception of one or two groups which are equally met with 

 in some of the adjoining islands in the Pacific Ocean, are pecu- 

 liar to their own continent. They belong to two only of the five 

 subfamilies of the Fsiftacidce ; those of the Cockatoos and the 

 long-tailed Parrakeets. Hitherto we have seen no example from 

 Australia of the true Psitfacus, Auct., of the conterminous sub- 

 family of even-tailed Parrakeets, or of the Maccaws. 



Although from the general resemblance which the birds of 

 this family bear to each other, it may at first sight appear dif- 

 ficult to determine which are the typical and aberrant groups, it 

 strikes us that we may attain a clue to this point of distinction 

 by attending to the construction of the bill, and tracing out the 

 mode in which it varies from the strength and shortness appa- 

 rent in some species, to the weakness and elongation exhibited 

 in others. The food of the Parrots consists chietly of nuts, 

 seeds, and similar vegetable substances ; and the bill, which 

 possesses the greatest power in breaking the hard shells or 

 rinds which inclose these substances, seems to point out the 

 typical pre-eminence of the groups in which it is found. This 

 strength of bill may be observed to be carried to the ex- 

 treme in the two subfamilies of Cockatoos and Maccaios. In 

 these birds the mandibles are of considerable size and thick- 

 ness, and much more deep than long ; more especially the under 

 mandible, which is extremely short, and bent inwards at the 

 apev so as to give the bill a greater power over the substances 



which 



