THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
the Psittacus cristatus of Linnaeus, or large white Cockatoo, which has been 
described by almost all ornithologists, and figured in several works of Natural 
History.” Simultaneously, however, Latham, in the Index Ornithologicus, 
named it Psittacus galeritus , observing “ Vix ejusdem varietas ? ” With 
regard to the other White Cockatoos, Mr. Caley’s observations, recorded by 
Vigors and Horsfield, read : “ This bird is called by the natives Car' away, and 
also Cur'riang. I have met with it in large flocks at the conflux of the Goose 
and the Hawkesbury rivers, below Mulgo’ez on the former river, and in the 
long meadow near the Nepean river. They are shy and not easily approached. 
The flesh of the young ones is accounted good eating. I have heard from 
the natives that it makes its nest in the rotten limbs of trees, of nothing more 
than the vegetable mould formed by the decayed parts of the bough ; 
that it has no more than two young ones at a time ; and that its eggs are 
white without spots. The natives first find where the nests are by the bird 
making Co' torn in an adjoining tree, which lies in conspicuous heaps on the 
ground. Co' tor a is the bark stripped off the smaller branches, and cut into 
small pieces. When the young ones are nearly fledged the old birds cut a 
quantity of small branches from the adjoining trees, but never from that in 
which the nest is situated. They are sometimes found to enter the hollow limb 
as far as two yards. The nests are generally formed in a Black-butted gum- 
tree ; and also in Coroy'bo , Cajim'bora and Yarrowar'ry trees (species of 
Eucalyptus). Their breeding-places appear to be local.” 
Gould’s notes read : “ The late Mr. Elsey furnished me with the following 
note : ‘ The Cacatua galerita of the Victoria (Northern Territory) has many 
points of difference from that of the eastern coast, especially in the upper 
mandible. I find that the mandibles of the Cockatoos differ in a striking 
manner according to the season and the kind of food upon which they subsist. 
When feeding on the seeds of the Eucalypti the brittle outer layers disappear, 
and the tip becomes hard and sharp, while when feeding on roots grubbed 
from soft ground, the outer layers are not worn and the end is square and 
spadelike. Leichardt mentions that the Cockatoos shot round the gulf had 
a pink colouring on the breast, and asks whether they were to be considered 
as a variety. We noticed this fact also ; and the first bird I saw was so well 
coloured on the breast, and the dye so uniform, that it deceived me ; but 
I soon found others in which not only the breast, but the wings, tail and face 
were dyed of a pale rose-colour ; spots of the same hue also occurred on their 
bodies. The cause is this — all the large sandy river-beds contain a large 
quantity of iron, and the pools formed in them are usually covered with a 
thin film of oxide of iron, which is transferred to the bird when drinking. 
The crops and stomachs of those killed in Tasmania were very muscular, and 
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