54 cassell's book of birds. 



round horn-like plate, upon the pieces, which stick to it ; the tongue is then drawn in, and the food 

 swallowed ; this being a very slow process, the meal usually occupies a considerable time. 



The Raven Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus) differ very materially from all other species not only 

 in the colour of the feathers, but in their form. The beak is short, crescent-shaped, and sloping, 

 owing to the great breadth of the lower jaw ; the wings are large and broad, reaching only over the 

 first third of the long, strong, and rounded tail ; the crest is comparatively small. 



The Raven Cockatoos, or Geringeroes, are found exclusively in New Holland, and there only in 

 certain districts. Gould, the great explorer of Australian ornithology, mentions six species in his 

 masterly work, and gives a tolerably full account of their mode of life ; there is, however, great 

 similarity between them, and the following observations may be considered as applicable to all. 



The Raven Cockatoos are truly /r«?-birds, feeding principally upon the seeds of the Eucalypti, and 

 other trees indigenous to the country, but, unlike other parrots, they will occasionally eat large cater- 

 pillars. Another peculiarity is that they only congregate in small parties consisting of not more than 

 from four to eight individuals, and never assemble in considerable flocks. Each part of Van 

 Dieman's Land has its peculiar species. 



The manner in which the Raven Cockatoos feed is also very peculiar. Some species break off 

 the little twigs of the fruit trees while eating, apparently out of mischief; and all use their sharp 

 beaks to draw the concealed living insects — principally larvae — out of the wood. The large cater- 

 pillars which they obtain from the gum-trees do not always satisfy their hunger ; they wage war upon 

 the grubs that lurk deep in the wood, dextrously stripping off the bark and picking large holes in the 

 branches until they reach their prey. Some species prefer insects to any other kind of nourishment, 

 whilst others subsist upon seeds, principally those of the Casuarinse and Banksias. Fruit they seem 

 to despise, although they destroy much out of pure mischief, plucking it before it is ripe, to the 

 great annoyance of the owners: 



So far as we know, the Geringeroes breed exclusively in the holes of trees, always choosing the 

 highest and most unapproachable trunks, and invariably such as the natives cannot climb. They 

 prepare no regular nest in the holes which they select, or at most only collect chips of wood from the 

 ground, wherewith to line the interior. They lay from two to five tolerably large eggs, i| inch in 

 length and i \ inch broad. Besides the attacks made upon them by man, the Raven Cockatoos often 

 become victims to birds and beasts of prey. Europeans do not prize their flesh very highly, but by 

 the natives it is esteemed a delicacy. 



BANKS' RAVEN COCKATOO. 

 Banks' Raven Cockatoo {Calyptorhynchus Banksit) attains the length of a foot and a half. 

 The plumage of the male is black, the only exception being the tail, which is a brilliant black with a 

 greenish sheen. The female is greenish-black upon the head, spotted with yellow on the neck and 

 wings, and striped with light yellow upon the breast. The male has a broad scarlet band extending 

 along the middle of the tail, but not reaching the two middle feathers or the outer edge of the side 

 feathers. The female has broad yellow and reddish-yellow spotted stripes similarly disposed, both 

 upon the outer and the under side of the tail-covers. 



Banks' Raven Cockatoo belongs to New South Wales, and is principally found in the district 

 between Moreton Bay and Port Philip, though by no means rare in the immediate neighbourhood 

 of Sydney and other large tows. Its flight is heavy; the wings are lax, and seem to move with 

 difficulty ; it seldom rises high in the air, but will, nevertheless, sometimes fly for a mile at a stretch ; 

 whilst on the wing it utters a loud cry, which is less shrill than the harsh screech of the cockatoo. 

 When on the ground, these birds move with difficulty ; upon the tops of trees their motions are 



