COCKATOOS. 109 



that in the wild state hxrva; of insects form a considerable portion of the diet of 

 many of the species, as in captivity the}^ will readily eat both gnats and flesh. 

 Like most of the parrot tribe, cockatoos do little or nothing in the way of nest- 

 making, generally laying their eggs on the bare w^ood in some hollow tree. The 

 eggs vary from three to four in number, and visually two broods are reared in a 

 year. In those species which have been bred in Europe, the season extends from 

 May till September. Their elegant plumage, graceful movements, and the readiness 

 with which they are tamed, render cockatoos great favourites as domestic pets, 

 although their discordant cries — worse in some species than others — are a most 

 serious drawback. Writing of the great wdiite cockatoo, Mr. W. T. Greene observes 

 that " occasionally one of these birds will learn to pronounce a few words wath 

 tolerable distinctness, but their forte lies in the imitation of the barking of dogs, 

 the crowing of cocks, the gabbling of turkeys, and the cackling of ducks, hens, 

 and geese ; and more particularly in the rendering, with much fidelity but in an 

 exaggerated key, the outcries of a domestic fowl that has just produced an Qg^^. 

 They may be readily taught to throw up their wnngs, dance on their perch, hold 

 out their foot to shake hands, and bow their heads in salutation of a visitor." Not 

 unfrequently these birds can be tamed sufficiently to admit their being allowed 

 to wander at large, and the writer is acquainted wdth an individual of one of the 

 Australian species which is at times let loose in the garden of its owner. Here the 

 bird wdil generally remain wdthin accessible distance, although it wdll occasionally 

 fly to the tops of some tall trees. From such an elevated perch " cockie " will 

 generally descend at the call of its mistress, but occasionally^ it is obdurate, and 

 cannot be recaptured without much trouble. The rose-breasted species assembles 

 in smaller flocks than most of the other kinds, from wdiich it also differs in its 

 fondness for shade, resting quietly in the tree-tops wdiile its white cousins are 

 soaring in the empyrean above during the midday heat. From its splendid colours 

 and engaging ways it would make an attractive pet, were it not that its dis- 

 cordant screams are more piercing and more frequently uttered than are those 

 of its allies. 

 siender-BiUed The slender-billed cockatoos, of which there are two species, one 



Cockatoos. (LicJiTYietis nasicci) having a wide range in Australia, while the other 

 (L. ijertinator) is confined to Western Australia, take their name from the great 

 length and slenderness of the upper mandible, which projects obliquely forw^ards. 

 The former species is represented in the lower figure of the plate on page 104 ; 

 and measures 15 inches in length, the general colour of the plumage being white. 

 The lores and a narrow^ band on the forehead are, however, red ; while the 

 feathers covering the head, neck, and breast are scarlet at the base, and the under 

 surfaces of the wdngs and tail are w^ashed with j'ellow. The crest is small, and 

 confined to the front of the head. 



The small long-tailed Australian species, known as the cockatiel 

 The Cocl{a.tiel 



(Callopsittacus novae-holla ad ia), differs so remarkably in appearance 



from the other members of the family that it has been considered to be an ally of 



the grass-parraquets. Nevertheless, as it has the crest and skull of the cockatoos, 



it is referred by Count Salvadori to the present family. It differs from all the 



other members of the family in its narrow and pointed tail-feathers, of which the 



