Birds of Melville Island. Ill 



81. Calyptorhynchus banksii macrorhynchus. Great-billed 

 Cockatoo. 



Calyptorhynchus macrorhynchus Gould^ Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 for 1842, 1843, p. 138 : Port Essington. 



These Cockatoos are fairly numerous from September 

 onwards. They feed on the seeds of a species of Eucalyptus 

 which has large crops of big seed-vessels ; these latter are as 

 big as the ball of a large thumb. They left early in 

 December. A few small flocks passed over in January and 

 February, and ])y June they were again plentiful. 



82. Cacatoes galerita melvillensis. Northern White 

 Cockatoo. 



Cacatoes galerita melvillensis Mathews, Austral Av. Rec. 

 vol. i. 1912, p. 36 : Melville Island. 



These Cockatoos are sparingly distributed over the Island. 

 They feed on the large seeds of the Pandanus. 



83. Ducorpsius gyninopis apsleyi. Melville-Island Bare- 

 eyed Cockatoo. 



Cacatoes gyninopis apsleyi Mathews, Austral Av. Rec. 

 vol. i. 1912, p. 36: Melville Island. 



Many small flocks of two or three were seen devouring 

 the seeds of the Eucalyptus favoured by Calyptorhijnclius ; 

 they are fairly common and sometimes seen feeding on the 

 ground. 



84. Aprosmictus erythropterus coccineopterus. Crimson- 

 winged Parrot. 



Ptistes coccineopterus Gould, Handb. Birds Austr. vol. ii. 

 1865, p. 39 : Port Essington. 



These birds are very numerous at times, in flocks up to 

 twenty in number, but are more often in small parties of 

 about half a dozen. In the large flocks there are usually 

 several males in full plumage, and in the small lots generally 

 only one male. They feed on the small figs, and are not 

 so plentiful on the north side of the Island. 



