on a Nestling Calopsittacus novce-hollandia;. 301


But the most remarkable features of this nestling are to be

found in the feet, and the beak.


As to the feet. These are peculiar inasmuch as all the

toes except the hallux are turned forwards, whereas in the adult

of course the first (hallux) and fourth toes are directed back-

wards. In other words, this nestling is not zygodactylous. I

would suggest that those who are interested in the breeding of

Parrots should examine very young living nestlings to see

whether this generally obtains among Parrots at this stage.


The beak agrees in all its essential characters with that

which I described in the Psephotus multicolor. And for purposes

of comparison is here figured together with that of an adult, and

that of the young Calopsittacus.


In this last named, as may be seen by a reference to the

figures, the abrupt angle which the premaxillary forms with the

maxillary portion of the jaw, is extremely well marked. The

lower is also wider than the upper jaw, and its cutting edge is also

membranous, this being especially noticeable at the gape where

the free edge of the lower overlaps that of the upper jaw, though

not in as marked a manner as in Psephotus.


It is by no means easy to describe these several peculi-

arities of the jaws so as to convey an accurate impression of the

actual conditions, but the illustrations given may help towards

this end. The change in the form of the beak which takes place

during the passage from the nestling to the adult stage is

certainly striking.


In the adult Calopsittacus (Cockatiel) it will be noticed

that if a line be drawn vertically, from the anterior margin of

the cere downwards, it will cut through the middle of the lower

jaw ; in the nestling such a line passes in front of the jaw.

Again, in the adult the tomium or cutting edge of the upper jaw

is " festooned " and the jaw terminates in a sharp point. In the

nestling the tomium of the upper jaw is straight as far as the

level of the anterior end of the mandible, when its free edge

turns sharply downwards to form the margin of a great "scoop."

In the mandible or lower jaw, no less striking differences be-

tween adult and nestling are observable. In the first place, the

tomium of the mandible in the former is sinuous, in the latter



