Order— PSITTACIFORMES. 
The birds of this Order are well known from their universal acceptance as 
pets, with the faculty of uttering sounds resembling the human art of speech. 
Scientifically, the members are well differentiated by the combination of 
cere-bearing short-hooked falconine-like bill with zygodactyle feet, i.e., the 
four toes are paired, two in front and two behind. 
The birds vary in size from large birds, comparatively speaking, for 
perching birds, to very small ones, and are generally brightly coloured, even 
too much so, but no especial colour-schemes are apparent, green being 
perhaps the most prevalent colour. They are restricted mainly to the 
southern parts of both new and old worlds, and particularly to South 
America and Australia. The latter country is especially favoured in forms, 
and Campbell has recorded that on the earliest Dutch charts it was designated 
as the “ Land of Parrots.” Yet it is certain that comparatively few species 
were seen by these early investigators, so that we must conclude that it 
received this name from the extraordinary numbers observed. Dampier also 
makes note of White Cockatoos as being abundant on the West Coast. Captain 
Cook makes few notes, as they seem to have been too common to excite 
that great sailor, but the “ scientific gentlemen ” did not fail to collect these 
new and wondrous birds, and many species were soon described from their 
collections, one of the most famous being called after Sir Joseph Banks, one 
of the “ scientific gentlemen.” Shaw described some in the Museum 
Leverianum and others in the Naturalists’ Miscellany, while\\ Latham 
introduced some half-dozen in the General Synopsis of Birds. 
At the settling of New South Wales other forms were recognised, and 
these were described in Phillip’s “ Voyage ” and White’s “ Journal.” The 
writers were perplexed as to the plumage changes and the confusion has not 
yet all been dissipated. 
Watling made coloured drawings of many of the species, and from these 
paintings Latham added other new forms. Robert Brown accompanied 
Flinders on his voyage, and though primarily a botanist, made a nice collection 
of birds, some of which were presented to the Linnean Society and others to the 
British Museum. These were neglected, though Brown drew up descriptions 
in manuscript of the new forms. When Temminck and Kuhl visited 
England they took advantage of these birds and named these species. A 
VOL. VI. 
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