COCKATOOS. 
99 
migrations, according to the “ Old Bushman,” they may, however, congregate in 
immense numbers, and may tlien be seen flying at great heights. With regard to 
these periodical movements, the same observer writes that these birds are “ migrants 
to and from different districts, and their migrations are regulated by the state of 
the blossoms of the gums and honeysuckles upon which they feed; not that they 
ever entirely left our forests, for I rarely at any time went out without seeing a 
pair or so. But the large flocks of them only come at such times as the trees are 
full of honey, and depart as suddenly as they come. They are always in larger or 
smaller flocks, do not associate with the other parrots, and are never seen feeding 
on the ground.” The female lays from three to four eggs; and in their first 
plumage the young have the breast yellow, with scarcely any tinge of red, while 
the band on the nape of the neck is scarcely visible. In captivity this parrot is by 
no means a desirable species, since it is exceedingly noisy and very difficult to keep 
for long. In this state it will eat insects and seeds, as well as honey and syrup. 
The Arfak parrot (Oreopsittacus arfaki ) already referred to as 
having fourteen tail-feathers, is a native of the Arfak Mountains in 
New Guinea, and only measures 6 inches in length. The general colour is dark 
green, with the cheeks and ear-coverts blue, a tinge of red on the abdomen, the 
tail-feathers black, with red tips, and the beak black. 
Arfak Parrot. 
Family C YCLOPSITTACIDsE. 
Two genera of parrots from Australia, New Guinea, and the Eastern Malayan 
Islands, known as Neopsittacus and Cyclopsittacus, are regarded by Count Salvadori 
as indicating a distinct family of the order allied to the lories. While agreeing 
with the two preceding families in having the under surface of the hook of the bill 
nearly smooth, they differ in that the bill is deeper than long, and much swollen 
on the sides, the profile of the symphysis of the lower mandible being highly 
convex. In these respects these parrots serve to connect the lories with the 
following families. The nature of the tongue is unfortunately still unknown. 
Perhaps the best known representative of the group is the iris parrot (iY. iris), 
from the island of Timor—a small, green parrot, measuring 7f inches in length, 
with a yellow-orange bill. There is but one other species of this genus (N. musschen- 
broeki), from New Guinea; all the species of the allied genus Cyclopsittacus being 
distinguished by the dark colour of their beaks. 
The Cockatoos. 
Family Cacatuitjae. 
The remaining groups of the order are distinguished from those already 
noticed by the nature of the under surface of the hook of the beak. This, in place 
of being smooth or with fine longitudinal striae, is marked by a series of bold 
transverse ridges, running from either side of the middle line in a more or less 
oblique direction, so as to produce a file-like surface. Moreover, in all cases the 
tongue is quite simple, being unprovided with any kind of brush or fringe. 
