THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
breaking out of their sheaths, half of them being clear ; cheeks white with a 
faint yellowish tint. On the 1st October the feathers were almost free of 
sheathing, of a beautiful glossy black, breast and abdomen barred, and cheeks 
beginning to assume a pinkish tinge. Another young bird was first found 
in its hollow on the 13th August, 1911 ; it was then about 10 days old. On 
the 2nd September it was a little larger than the other bird when inspected 
on the 1st, and the feathers were a little longer, but still encased in sheaths. 
This bird was taken from the nest on the 1st October, when it was nearly 
fully fledged, and in Mr. M‘Lennan’s opinion would have left the nest in about 
another 10 or 12 days. The feathers were black, without gloss ; lower breast 
barred with yellowish ; abdomen and a few feathers under the wing barred 
with narrow bars of sulphur-yellow, two or three bars to each feather ; cheeks 
pinkish-red ; upper mandible, basal half blackisli-brown, terminal half 
whitish ; lower mandible whitish, with brown streaks at the base ; legs and 
feet greyish-black. Both birds did well on crushed boiled maize. These 
two birds were reared until May on crushed corn and wheat, when they 
took it whole ; they were very fond of pea-nuts. They were sent away to 
Sydney in perfect health, and arrived safely, but one sickened and died not 
long after its arrival ; the other is still alive and well in the possession of 
Dr. D’Ombrain, who has made many interesting notes on the manners of his 
pet. On several occasions parties of from five to seven of these birds were 
noted at play in a big tea or other tree in an open pocket, going through a 
whole series of evolutions and antics. Sometimes a pair would take up a 
position on a spout, and the others would all try to displace them by flying 
at them from all sides, and this would often be kept up for more than half an 
hour. In the open forest these birds were found to feed principally upon the 
very hard nut or stone of the nonda plum or weeba-tree, and in the scrub on 
another very hard nut which had no local name.” 
The preceding notes constitute practically the whole of the life-history 
of this magnificent Parrot, and I would emphasize the need for investigation 
at once before the birds become more scarce, as is suggested by Barnard’s 
second note. At the present time, on account of their large size, they are 
conspicuous and easily observed, as it will be noted that every collector since 
Macgillivray has either observed or recorded the species. In addition to the 
above-named, North has cited Alex. Morton, while I can add J. P. Rogers and 
Robin Kemp ; and D’ Albertis, the famous Italian explorer of New Guinea, met 
with it at Cape York, and even the naturalists of the Challenger, who paid 
very little attention to birds, mentioned it. 
So much confusion has surrounded the present species, both as to the 
generic and specific names and forms, that a review of the literature once more 
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