3 
The black cock rarely absents himself above 
a few minutes, for his rivals are great thieves, 
and a desperate fight takes place when some 
rascal has been caught plundering. Anything 
that is attractive is carried off by them. I 
have not, however, been so fortunate as to fall 
in with that gigantic species, mentioned by the 
Rev. J. G. Wood, in his “Illustrated Natural 
History,” “ which has been known to steal a 
stone tomahawk.” (! !) The food of this 
bird is at some periods almost wholly 
vegetable. They, in common with almost 
every bird, eat animal food, and at early 
morn may be seen in flocks, running up the 
boughs of the giant Eucalyptse which overtop 
the scrubs, feeding on the insects. With, as at 
certain times, they feed with little exception on 
plants growing on swampy ground, when a 
hundred may be seen without an adult male 
among them. The numerons fruit-bearing 
trees of the scrubs are their usual source of 
of food, and among them a gr at favourite is 
the fig. It is unnecessary to give a description 
of the plumage, for it has been most ably done 
by Gould. Suffice it to say, that incommon with 
most birds the males do not, it is believed, 
obtain the splendid plumage which gives the 
bird its name before the third year. The young 
males resemble the females, except being a 
little darker on the breast. With the acc ssion 
of plumage' comes extreme shyness ; and so 
changed and peculiar is the sound of the wings 
that from practice I could always tell where an 
old cock flew or rose from the ground, although 
the thicket was too dense for me to see him. 
The change of plumage is accompanied by that 
of the color of the bill and legs. Both become 
white. The eye does not undergo much alter- 
ation ; an increased brilliancy may be noticed. 
It is of a most beautiful ultramarine blue, shot 
with magenta, radiating from and encircling 
the pupil. 
♦ 
Printed by G, Wight, “Guardian Office,” Brisbane. 
