AiistruUan Birds in the Collection of the Linnean Society. 273 



Psittacus Cookii. Teinm. Linn. Trans, vol. xiii. ^j. ill. 



Psittacus Leachii. Kuhl, Nova Acta «j-c. vol. 10. p. 91. no. 164. 



tab. iii. 



Cook's Cockatoo. Latli. Gen. IJi.st. ii. p. 201. no. 130. 



The colour of the bill of the two specimens of this bird in the 

 Society's collection is a deep and decided black. M. Temniinck 

 in his Paper on these birds, in a former volume of these Trans- 

 actions, says that the bill is of a lead colour,— "co^/ew/- de plomb." 

 — We know not how to reconcile this difference : but we men- 

 tion the point more particularly, as the colour of the bill appears 

 to us, judging at least from the specimens before us, to offer a 

 strong mark of distinction between this bird and the next, the 

 existence of which as a separate species has been much doubted. 



The specimens in our museum were not among the birds 

 originally collected by Mr. Caley. In that gentleman's Notes, 

 however, we find the following observations, which -we make no 

 doubt apply to this species. " The natives tell me of another 

 kind of Cockatoo (besides IVyla and Geringora), which they call 

 Carat'. It is very shy. It scrapes dirt out of the hollow boughs, 

 and makes its nest as the others do. It lays tvvo eggs, the colours 

 of which I did not ascertain. The nest is found by watching the 

 bird into the hole. It does not make Co'tora, nor cut off' the 

 branches of the trees : but it cuts off Mai/'rj/bor'ro and JSlun'moto 

 (the fruit of two species of Pcrsoonia), without however eatino- 

 them, before they are ripe, to the great injury and vexation of 

 the natives." ISIr. Caley has informed us, that he recollects 

 having shot a ])ird soon after his arrival in the colony, which he 

 believes to have been of the same species as the Cal. Cookii of 

 the Society's collection. It differed from the Jfijla and Gerin- 

 gora in having no yellow in its plumage. He also expresses his 

 opinion that Cal. Cookii is the Carat' of the natives. 



VOL. XV. 2 N 4. So- 



