THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Mr. Thos. P. Austin has written me from Cobbora, New South Wales : 
“ At one time these birds were fairly numerous here, and some of them 
remained throughout the year, but of late years very few of them are to be 
seen at any time, this is no doubt owing to the dry seasons. All last year 
I only saw half a dozen birds ; one pair was clearing out a nesting hollow, 
but they did not lay in it, in fact, I have not known of any breeding here during 
the last five years, but I have little doubt than when suitable seasons come 
again, the birds will return, probably as numerous as ever. They appear to 
seldom perch in a living tree unless it has a number of dead branches on it ; 
they prefer the dead timber, and when sitting very still upon a dead limb, 
they are very difficult to see ; being very much the colour of the tree, they 
harmonize wonderfully well, and they seem to know it. They appear to be 
very much afraid of Hawks, especially when they come to water for a drink.” 
Mr. Tom Carter’s notes read : “ Cockatoo Parrot. Aboriginal name 
M.W. Natives, Point Cloates, wee-aura. Gascoyne wamba. These elegant 
Parrots were fairly common in the mid-west and occasionally visited the 
treeless coast about Pt. Cloates, after rain in the winter months from April 
to July. The breeding season varies somewhat according to the seasons, and 
eggs were noted in the nests on various dates between July 16/1891 and 
Sept. 16/1913, when many nests were observed near Carnarvon (W.A.). On 
Sept. 9/1911 fledged young were seen on the Minilya River. I may mention 
that a drought was then prevailing in the district, and in the course of a 
driving tour from the Gascoyne River to Point Cloates and back, when 
500 miles were travelled, only six of these birds were seen. These birds are 
quiet in disposition and make charming cage birds breeding freely in confine- 
ment, especially if a small hollow branch (spout) is provided for their nesting 
site. Their food appears to consist entirely of grass seeds. They do not 
occur in the timber country of the South-west, but in 1911 (dry season) 
there was a good many a little to the East of Broome Hill, where their occurrence 
was evidently rare, as several specimens were brought in to me for identification 
by settlers, as they had not previously seen the birds.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor has sent me the following : “ The Cockatoo Parrot is a 
fairly common bird in South Australia, although not so plentiful on the Adelaide 
Plains as in the early days of the Colony, when large flocks came south after 
the nesting season, and travelled along the coast line, usually keeping well 
behind the sand dunes, and feeding on the grassy flats in their migratory 
movements, and in these sheltered spots many thousands were annually 
caught by certain bird catchers, who used to export them to Europe, as they 
take to captivity well, and can be taught to whistle in a very pleasing manner. 
I have noted these birds plentifully in the seventies along the coast at Henley 
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