224 
Some Ejcperiences of Cockatoos. 
pity, for Roseates at liberty are most attractive birds, not 
very mischievous as a rule and fairly peaceable towards 
their weaker neighbours. 
My experiments with Slender-billed (Cacatua nasica) 
and Bare-eyed (C. gymnopis) were attended with so little 
success that I did not persevere long with either. I bought 
a pair of Slender-bills in the summer of 1912, and let out 
the cock full -winged. When he had apparently settled down, 
I released his mate, who, though she had been very tame 
in ]her cage, quickly became shy and suspiciouf . The pair 
stayed for a few weeks and then disappeared entirely. 
A tine pair of Bare-eyed Cockatoos reached me at 
the same time as the Slender -bills, but I had only had them 
a very few days when the hen suddenly died. I got another, 
and immediately afterwards the cock died. Post mortem 
examination showed fatty degeneration of the liver in both 
c-ases, so I stopped all hemp and sunflower (of which they 
had only been receiving quite a moderate quantity) and 
thenceforward had no more trouble. A new cock was se- 
cured and in due course was set at liberty, the hen being 
put out-of-doors in her cage to keep him from straying. He 
stayed well enough, but it was hate and not love which 
kept him chained to the spot, and for a time he made the 
most furious and persistent attempts to mui'der the impris- 
oned lady. When his rage had somewhat abated, I let her 
out too, and rather to m_y surpri.se he showed little inclina- 
tion to attack her and soon became perfectly friendly. Both 
birds stayed well, but proved so fearfully destructive to the 
trees that I was in the end obliged to get rid of them. 
Of Moluccan Rose-crested Cockatoos {Cacatua moluc- 
censis) I have only possessed a single individual, lie was 
a quain'u bird, and very tame and affectionate with his human 
friends. He would sit on one's shoulder for several minutes 
as motionless as a statue and as solemn as a judge and then 
would suddenly open his wings, throw up his crest, strike 
one on the cheek with the flat of his bill and exclaim in a 
shrill child-like voice " Papa Wheeon "1 He never got any 
further than these two words, although many Rose-ci-ests 
become wonderful talkers. On first arrival I put the old 
