Some Expevicnccs of Cockaloos. 
257 
common with all tamo Banksians I diavc .scon, and which dis- 
tinguishes them I'l'oni other Cockatoo';, viz.: a great objection 
to being handled. He liked nothing b(>tter than being talked 
to and allowed to i)ei-fli on one's arm oi- slioulder, but anj' 
a,ttempt to stroke liim provoked an iin])atient shake of the 
head and a half-opening of the great l>eak— firm but gentle 
warnings which no one had tlic temerity to disregard! Teddy 
was always attaclied to me and never failed to show extra 
pleasure on my return after a long absence, but it was a 
gardener who really won his iieart. He used to follow the 
man everywhere, showing the greatest concern if he were 
absent for more than a day and scouring the country far and 
wide in search of him. AVhen he went home in the evening 
Teddy generally accompanied him, flying after his bicycle 
for more than a mile, and not returning until he had seen him 
enter his house. Sometimes when I was coming home late 
I would meet Teddy on his way track. First I would hear 
his call sounding faintly in the distance, but gradually growing 
louder, his approach being often heralded by the noisy rising 
of flocks of feeding wildfowl who always regarded him with 
suspicion as a kind of gigantic Hawk. Finally the great 
dark shadow would drift silently over my head and Teddy 
would sail back to his window-ledge. Even then he did not 
always settle down for the night, but long after dark had 
fallen and again before dawn, he would often take wing again 
and I could hear him calling as he circled round the house. 
The other Banksians, as far as I could tell, never indulged in 
these nocturnal flights. Towards other birds Teddy showed a 
remarkable degree of timidity, and he would move out of the 
way of the smallest Parrakeet. The rest were very like him 
in this respect, and even the short-tempered Timmie was ready 
to give way to a cheeky Red-collared Jjorikeet, not a quarter 
her size. Teddy never modified his attitude of aloofness to- 
wards the hens of his species, although one of them showed 
an obvious desire to mate with him; he was ready enough, 
however, to perform his display for the benefit of his human 
admirers. On being called by someone he knew, he would 
throw up his crest till it assumed the shape of a Roman helmet, 
turn and walk towards them. As he came nearer, he would 
suddenly spread his tail laterally to e.cpooe the scarlet bar 
