GREAT 8ALM0N-GRESTEI) COCKATOO. 139 



Russ describes the eyes as black, or dark brown (scluvarz Us dunkel- 

 braun), which is also our experience as regards them. 



Though natives of the Moluccas, principally of the Island of Ceram, 

 these grand birds are not in the least delicate, but, on the contrary, 

 are perhaps among the hardiest of the members of the great family 

 to which they belong; for if turned out during the summer they endure 

 the cold of our winter with perfect impunity, and gain in loveliness 

 of feathering what they may lose in tameness and docility; though a 

 tame Moluccan Cockatoo, that is permitted to range a wood at its free 

 will, never becomes veiy wild, and will always return to its cage for 

 food; although it will occasionally stray to a great distance, and not 

 perhaps be seen or heard of for a day or two, when it will return 

 "as hungry as a hunter", just as the disconsolate owner is beginning 

 to fancy that his pet is lost; but of that catastrophe there is no fear, 

 unless some felon sportsman should chance to see and shoot a bird 

 he cannot but know to be a domestic one, and belonging to a 

 neighbour, if not a friend. If left alone, the Moluccan Cockatoo, when 

 tired of rambling, especially if hungry, will always return to his cage, 

 for he is gifted, among him many desirable qualities, with a strong 

 homing instinct, and has never been known to lose his way when 

 foraging abroad. 



From among a multitude of anecdotes relating to this species, we 

 select the following for reproduction in these pages; premising that 

 the information thus given, was elicited by the annexed query that 

 appeared in The Bazaar for January 26th., 1887. — " Can any reader 

 tell me anything about the ' Large White Demon Cockatoo' V to which 

 an anonymous correspondent thus replied: — 



"I do not know its age, but it must be ten years since my sister- 

 in-law went to a bazaar in Calcutta, to buy a gift for a brother just 

 starting by train. This bird has the most fascinating way of whispering 

 confidentially, 'Pretty Cocky V, and the dealer seeing my sister taken 

 by it, of course told her that it was the most splendid talker in 

 Calcutta, with strings of sentences and the power of speedily learning 

 anything, and named a high price, which was paid, and the bird 

 changed hands, but has never learned anything else. 



"In its feathered and clean days it was a very lovely bird. I used 

 to wash it with soap and water, and then it was all of a faint bluish 

 pink ; but I was advised not to wet it, and have not done so for more 

 than a year, so that it looks rather dirty now, and has for some time 

 been plucking out its feathers. I sometimes think it has insects, but 

 have never seen any. 



"At times it is exceedingly fierce. I have seen it keep seven men 



