Chapter I: Part 1

THE
BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA.

BY

JOHN GOULD, F.R.S.,

F.L.S., F.Z.S., M.E.S., F.ETHN.S., F.R.GEOG.S., M. RAY S., HON. MEMB. OF
THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF TURIN, OF THE ROY. ZOOL. SOC. OF
IRELAND, OF THE PENZANCE NAT. HIST. SOC., OF THE WORCESTER NAT. HIST.
SOC., OF THE NORTHUMBERLAND, DURHAM AND NEWCASTLE NAT. HIST. SOC., OF
THE NAT. HIST. SOC. OF DARMSTADT AND OF THE TASMANIAN SOCIETY OF VAN
DIEMEN’S LAND, ETC.

IN SEVEN VOLUMES.

VOL. V.

LONDON:
PRINTED BY RICHARD AND JOHN E. TAYLOR, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET.
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, 20, BROAD STREET, GOLDEN SQUARE.
1848.

LIST OF PLATES.
VOLUME V.

Cacatua galerita Crested Cockatoo 1

—— Leadbeateri Leadbeater’s Cockatoo 2

—— sanguinea, _Gould_ Blood-stained Cockatoo 3

—— Eos Rose-breasted Cockatoo 4

Licmetis nasicus Long-billed Cockatoo 5

Nestor productus, _Gould_ Philip Island Parrot 6

Calyptorhynchus Banksii Banksian Cockatoo 7

—— macrorhynchus, _Gould_ Great-billed Black Cockatoo 8

—— naso, _Gould_ Western Black Cockatoo 9

—— Leachii Leach’s Cockatoo 10

—— funereus Funereal Cockatoo 11

—— xanthonotus, _Gould_ Yellow-eared Black Cockatoo 12

—— Baudinii, _Vig._ Baudin’s Cockatoo 13

Callocephalon galeatum Gang-gang Cockatoo 14

Polytelis Barrabandi Barraband’s Parrakeet 15

—— melanura Black-tailed Parrakeet 16

Aprosmictus scapulatus King Lory 17

—— erythropterus Red-winged Lory 18

Platycercus semitorquatus Yellow-collared Parrakeet 19

—— Baueri Bauer’s Parrakeet 20

—— Barnardi, _Vig. & Horsf._ Barnard’s Parrakeet 21

—— Adelaidiæ, _Gould_ Adelaide Parrakeet 22

—— Pennantii Pennant’s Parrakeet 23

—— flaviventris Yellow-bellied Parrakeet 24

—— flaveolus, _Gould_ Yellow-rumped Parrakeet 25

—— palliceps, _Vig._ Pale-headed Parrakeet 26

—— eximius Rose-hill Parrakeet 27

—— splendidus, _Gould_ Splendid Parrakeet 28

—— icterotis The Earl of Derby’s Parrakeet 29

—— ignitus, _Lead._ Fiery Parrakeet 30

—— Brownii Brown’s Parrakeet 31

—— pileatus, _Vig._ Red-capped Parrakeet 32

Psephotus hæmatogaster, _Gould_ Crimson-bellied Parrakeet 33

—— pulcherrimus, _Gould_ Beautiful Parrakeet 34

—— multicolor Many-coloured Parrakeet 35

—— hæmatonotus, _Gould_ Red-backed Parrakeet 36

Euphema chrysostoma Blue-banded Grass-Parrakeet 37

—— elegans, _Gould_ Elegant Grass-Parrakeet 38

—— aurantia, _Gould_ Orange-bellied Grass-Parrakeet 39

—— petrophila, _Gould_ Rock Grass-Parrakeet 40

—— pulchella Chestnut-shouldered
Grass-Parrakeet 41

—— splendida, _Gould_ Splendid Grass-Parrakeet 42

—— Bourkii Bourke’s Grass-Parrakeet 43

Melopsittacus undulatus Warbling Grass-Parrakeet 44

Nymphicus Novæ-Hollandiæ Cockatoo Parrakeet 45

Pezoporus formosus Ground Parrakeet 46

Lathamus discolor Swift Lorikeet 47

Trichoglossus Swainsonii, _Jard. & Swainson’s Lorikeet
Selby._ 48

—— rubritorquis, _Vig. & Horsf._ Red-collared Lorikeet 49

Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus Scaly-breasted Lorikeet 50

—— versicolor, _Vig._ Varied Lorikeet 51

—— concinnus Musky Lorikeet 52

—— porphyrocephalus, _Diet._ Porphyry-crowned Lorikeet 53

—— pusillus Little Lorikeet 54

Ptilinopus Swainsonii, _Gould_ Swainson’s Fruit Pigeon 55

—— Ewingii, _Gould_ Ewing’s Fruit Pigeon 56

—— superbus Superb Fruit Pigeon 57

Carpophaga magnifica Magnificent Fruit Pigeon 58

—— leucomela White-headed Fruit Pigeon 59

—— luctuosa Torres Strait Fruit Pigeon 60

Lopholaimus Antarcticus Top-Knot Pigeon 61

Chalcophaps chrysochlora Little Green Pigeon 62

Leucosarcia picata Wonga-wonga Pigeon 63

Peristera[1] chalcoptera Bronze-winged Pigeon 64

—— elegans Brush Bronze-winged Pigeon 65

—— histrionica, _Gould_ Harlequin Bronzewing 66

Geophaps scripta Partridge Bronze-wing 67

—— Smithii Smith’s Partridge Bronze-wing 68

—— plumifera, _Gould_ Plumed Partridge Bronze-wing 69

Ocyphaps Lophotes Crested Pigeon 70

Petrophassa albipennis, _Gould_ White-quilled Rock Dove 71

Geopelia humeralis Barred-shouldered Ground Dove 72

—— tranquilla, _Gould_ Peaceful Ground Dove 73

—— cuneata Graceful Ground Dove 74

Macropygia Phasianella Pheasant-tailed Pigeon 75

Gnathodon strigirostris, _Jard._ Gnathodon 76

Talegalla Lathami Wattled Talegalla 77

Leipoa ocellata, _Gould_ Ocellated Leipoa 78

Megapodius Tumulus, _Gould_ Mound-raising Megapode 79

Pedionomus torquatus, _Gould_ Collared Plain Wanderer 80

Hemipodius[2] melanogaster, _Gould_ Black-breasted Hemipode 81

—— varius Varied Hemipode 82

—— scintillans, _Gould_ Sparkling Hemipode 83

—— melanotus, _Gould_ Black-backed Hemipode 84

—— castanotus, _Gould_ Chestnut-backed Hemipode 85

—— pyrrhothorax, _Gould_ Red-chested Hemipode 86

—— velox, _Gould_ Swift-flying Hemipode 87

Coturnix pectoralis, _Gould_ Pectoral Quail 88

Synoïcus Australis Australian Partridge 89

—— Diemenensis, _Gould_ Van Diemen’s Land Partridge 90

—— sordidus, _Gould_ Sombre Partridge 91

——? Chinensis Chinese Quail 92

Footnote 1:

_Phaps_ being the generic appellation generally adopted, _Peristera_,
under which term the birds of this form have been published, must sink
into a synonym.

Footnote 2:

_Turnix_ for the like reason must be substituted for _Hemipodius_, the
term employed.

CACATUA GALERITA: _Vieill._

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

CACATUA GALERITA, _Vieill._
Crested Cockatoo.

_The Crested Cockatoo_, White’s Journ., pl. in p. 237.

_Psittacus galeritus_, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 109; and Gen. Syn.
Supp., vol. ii. p. 92.—Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. in Nov. Act., vol. x. p.
87.

_Great Sulphur-crested Cockatoo_, Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 479.

_Crested Cockatoo_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 205.

_Cacatua galerita_, Vieill. 2nde Edit, du Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat.,
tom. xvii. p. 11; and Ency. Méth. Orn., Part III. p. 1414.—Wagl.
Mon. Psitt. in Abhand., p. 695.

_Plyctolophus galeritus_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
268.—Vig. in Lear’s Ill. Psitt. pl. 3.—Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen.
Zool., vol. xiv. p. 108.

_Cacatua chrysolophus_, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 182.

_Car’away_ and _Cur’riang_, Aborigines of New South Wales.

_Mangarape_, Papuans of New Guinea.

If we regard the White Cockatoo of Van Diemen’s Land, that of the continent of Australia, and that of New Guinea as mere varieties of each other, this species has a more extensive range than most other birds. It is an inhabitant of all the Australian colonies, both on the southern and northern coasts, but has not yet been observed on the western.

On a close examination of specimens from the three countries above mentioned, a decided difference is observable in the structure of the bill, but of too trivial a character, in my opinion, to warrant their being considered as distinct; in fact, it would seem to be merely a modification of the organ for the peculiar kind of food afforded by the respective countries. The Van Diemen’s Land bird is the largest in every respect, and has the bill, particularly the upper mandible, less abruptly curved, exhibiting a tendency to the form of that organ in the genus _Licmetis_: the bill of the New Guinea bird is much rounder, and is, in fact, fitted to perform a totally different office from that of the White Cockatoo of Van Diemen’s Land, which I have ascertained, by dissection, subsists principally on the small bulbs of the terrestrial _Orchidaceæ_, for procuring which its lengthened upper mandible is admirably adapted; while it is more than probable that no food of this kind is to be obtained by the New Guinea bird, the structure of whose bill indicates that hard seeds, nuts, &c. constitute the principal part of its diet. The crops and stomachs of those killed in Van Diemen’s Land were very muscular, and contained seeds, grain, native bread (a species of fungus), small tuberous and bulbous roots, and, in most instances, large stones.

As may be readily imagined, this bird is not upon favourable terms with the agriculturist, upon whose fields of newly-sown grain and ripening maize it commits the greatest devastation; it is consequently hunted and shot down wherever it is found, a circumstance which tends much to lessen its numbers; it is still, however, very numerous, moving about in flocks varying from a hundred to a thousand in number, and evinces a decided preference to the open plains and cleared lands, rather than to the dense brushes near the coast. Except when feeding, or reposing on the trees after a repast, the presence of a flock, if not seen, is certain to be indicated by their horrid screaming notes, the discordance of which may be slightly conceived by those who have heard the peculiarly loud, piercing, grating scream of the bird in captivity, always remembering the immense increase of the din occasioned by the large number of birds emitting their disagreeable notes at the same moment; still I ever considered this annoyance amply compensated for by their sprightly actions and the life their snowy forms imparted to the dense and never-varying green of the Australian forest; a feeling participated in by Sir Thomas Mitchell, who says that “amidst the umbrageous foliage, forming dense masses of shade, the white Cockatoos sported like spirits of light.”

The situations chosen by this bird for the purpose of nidification vary with the nature of the locality it inhabits; the eggs are usually deposited in the holes of trees, but they are also placed in fissures in the rocks wherever they may present a convenient site: the crevices of the white cliffs bordering the Murray, in South Australia, are annually resorted to for this purpose by thousands of this bird, and are said to be completely honeycombed by them. The eggs are two in number, of a pure white, rather pointed at the smaller end, one inch and seven lines long by one inch two and a half lines broad.

All the plumage white, with the exception of the elongated occipital crest, which is deep sulphur-yellow, and the ear-coverts, centre of the under surface of the wing, and the basal portion of the inner webs of the tail-feathers, which are pale sulphur-yellow; irides and bill black; orbits white; feet greyish brown.

The figures are somewhat smaller than the natural size.

CACATUA LEADBEATERI: _Wagl._

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

CACATUA LEADBEATERI, _Wagl._
Leadbeater’s Cockatoo.

_Plyctolophus Leadbeateri_, Vig. in Proc. of Comm, of Sci. and Corr.
of Zool. Soc., Part I. p. 61; Lear’s Ill. Psitt. pl. 5; and in Phil.
Mag. 1831, p. 55.—Gould in Syn. of Birds of Australia, Part
IV.—Mitch. Australian Expeditions, vol. ii. p. 47.

_Cacatua Leadbeateri_, Wagl. Mon. Psitt, in Abhand., p. 692.

_Jak-k̏ul-yȁk-kul_, Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western
Australia.

_Pink Cockatoo_, Colonists of Swan River.

This beautiful species of Cockatoo enjoys a wide range over the southern portions of the Australian continent; it never approaches very near the sea, but evinces a decided preference for the belts of lofty gums and scrubs clothing the sides of the rivers of the interior of the country; it annually visits the Toodyay district of Western Australia; and, as I ascertained, it annually breeds at Gawler in South Australia. On reading the works of Sturt and Mitchell, I find that both those travellers met with it in the course of their explorations, particularly on the hanks of the rivers Darling and Murray; in fact, most of the interior districts between New South Wales and Adelaide are inhabited by it: future research alone will determine the extent of its range to the northward; as yet no specimen has been received either from the north or north-west coasts.

It must be admitted that this species is at once the most beautiful and elegant of the genus yet discovered, and it will consequently ever be most highly prized for the cage and the aviary; two examples, now in the possession of the Earl of Derby, appear to bear confinement equally as well as any of their congeners; in their disposition they are not so sprightly and animated, but at the same time they are much less noisy, a circumstance which tends to enhance rather than decrease our partiality for them.

Few birds tend more to enliven the monotonous hues of the Australian forests than this beautiful species, whose “pink-coloured wings and glowing crest,” says Sir T. Mitchell, “might have embellished the air of a more voluptuous region.”

Its note is more plaintive than that of _C. galerita_, and does not partake of the harsh grating sound peculiar to that species.

General plumage white; forehead, front and sides of the neck, centre of the under surface of the wing, middle of the abdomen, and the basal portion of the inner webs of the tail-feathers tinged with rose-colour, becoming of a rich salmon-colour under the wing; feathers of the occipital crest crimson at the base, with a yellow spot in the centre and white at the tip; bill light horn-colour; feet dark brown.

The sexes are nearly equal in size; but the female has the yellow spots in the centre of the crest more conspicuous and better defined than her mate, whose crest, although larger, is not so diversified in colour as that of his mate; on the other hand, the salmon tint of the under surface is much more intense in the male than in the female.

The Plate represents the two sexes about the natural size.

CACATUA SANGUINEA: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]

CACATUA SANGUINEA, _Gould_.
Blood-stained Cockatoo.

_Cacatua sanguinea_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X. p. 138.

The circumstance of this species never having been characterized until I described it in the “Proceedings of the Zoological Society,” above quoted, may doubtless be attributed to its being solely an inhabitant of the north and north-west coasts of Australia, portions of the country where few collections have been formed. With the exception of a specimen brought home by Captain Chambers, R.N., and another in the collection of Mr. Bankier, my own specimens are all that I have ever seen; the whole of these were collected at Port Essington.

The Blood-stained Cockatoo inhabits swamps and wet grassy meadows, and is often to be seen in company with its near ally the _Cacatua galerita_, but I am informed it is even more shy and difficult of approach than that bird. It is doubtless attracted to the swampy districts by the various species of Orchidaceous plants that grow in such localities, upon the roots of which at some seasons it mainly subsists.

But little difference occurs either in the size or the colouring of the sexes, and I have young birds, which, although a third less in size, closely assimilate in every respect to the adult, so much so that an examination of the bill, which during immaturity is soft and yielding to the touch, is necessary to distinguish them.

I have never yet observed this species in collections from New Guinea; but I think it more than likely that its range may extend to that island, the fauna of which is at present so imperfectly known to us.

All the plumage white; base of the feathers of the lores and sides of the face stained with patches of blood-red; base of the inner webs of the primaries, secondaries and tail-feathers fine sulphur-yellow; bill yellowish white; feet mealy brown.

The figures are those of a male and a female about the natural size.

CACATUA EOS.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CACATUA EOS.
Rose-breasted Cockatoo.

_Psittacus Eos_, Kuhl, Nova Acta, tom. x. p. 88.—Temm. Pl. Col., 81.

_Cacatua rosea_, Vieill. Gal. des Ois., tom. ii. p. 5. pl. 25.—Ib.
Ency. Méth. Orn., Part iii. p. 1414.—Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 183.

_Plyctolophus Eos_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 269.

_Rose-coloured Cockatoo_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 207.

_Cacatua roseicapilla_, Wagl. Mon. Psitt, in Abhand., pp. 504, 691.

—— _Eos_, Less. Man. d’Orn., tom. ii. p. 143.

_The Rose Cockatoo_, Sturt’s Travels in Australia, vol. ii. pl. in p.
79.

This beautiful Cockatoo is abundantly dispersed over a great part of the interior of Australia; both Oxley and Sturt speak of it as inhabiting the country to the north-west of the Blue Mountain range of hills; in fact, few travellers have visited the interior without having had their attention attracted by its appearance; and I saw it in great numbers on the plains bordering the river Namoi, particularly under the Nundewar range of Sir Thomas Mitchell; I possess specimens also from the north coast, procured by the Officers of the Beagle. A difference however, which may hereafter prove to be specific, exists between the birds from New South Wales and those of the north coast. Those from the latter locality are the largest in size, and have the bare skin round the eye more extended; the rosy colour of the breast and the grey colouring of the back are darker than in the specimens I killed on the Namoi.

The Rose-breasted Cockatoo possesses considerable power of wing, and like the house-pigeon of this country, frequently passes in flocks over the plains with a long sweeping flight, the group at one minute displaying their beautiful silvery grey backs to the gaze of the spectator, and at the next by a simultaneous change of position bringing their rich rosy breasts into view, the effect of which is so beautiful to behold, that it is a source of regret to me that my readers cannot participate in the pleasure I have derived from the sight. I was informed by the natives of the Namoi that the bird had so recently arrived in the district, that until within the last two years it had never been seen; they supposed it to have migrated from the north or interior of the country. During the years 1839 and 1840 it bred in considerable numbers in the boles of the large _Eucalypti_ skirting the Nundewar range before alluded to, and afforded an abundant supply of young ones for the draymen and stock-keepers to transport to Sydney, where they are sold for a considerable sum to be shipped to England; and as they are very hardy, and bear cold and confinement extremely well, and are perfectly contented in a cage, we have, perhaps, more of them living in England at the present time than of any other species of the genus. I have seen it as tame in Australia as the ordinary denizens of the farm-yard, enjoying perfect liberty, and coming round the door to receive food in company with the pigeons and poultry, amongst which it mingled on terms of intimate friendship.

In a letter received from my friend Captain Sturt, he says, “The Rose-breasted Cockatoo is a bird of the low country entirely and limited in the extent of its habitat, never being found in any great number on the banks of the Darling, or rising higher than 600 feet above the level of the sea. It feeds on _Salsolæ_, and occupies those vast plains which lie immediately to the westward of the Blue Mountains. It has a peculiar flight, and the whole flock turning together show the rose-colour of the under surface with pretty effect.” I have not yet seen specimens of this bird from any part of the Swan River colony, neither did I observe it in any part of South Australia that I visited; the eastern and northern portions of Australia are evidently those most frequented by it.

The eggs, which are white, are generally three in number, about an inch and a half long by an inch and an eighth broad.

The young at first are covered with long, fine downy feathers, which at an early age give place to the colours which characterize the plumage of the adult.

The sexes do not differ in colouring and scarcely in size, but individuals differ considerably in the depth of the tint of the under surface, some being much deeper than others, and in the extent of the bare space round the eye.

Crown of the head pale rosy white; all the upper surface grey, deepening into brown at the extremity of the wings and tail, and becoming nearly white on the rump and upper tail-coverts; sides of the neck, all the under surface from below the eyes and the under surface of the shoulder rich deep rosy red; thighs and under tail-coverts grey; irides rich deep rosy red; orbits brick-red; bill white; feet mealy dark brown.

The figures are of the natural size.

LICMETIS NASICUS.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

LICMETIS NASICUS.
Long-billed Cockatoo.

_Psittacus nasicus_, Temm, in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 115.—Ib. Pl.
Col, 331.

_Long-nosed Cockatoo_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 205.

_Licmetis tenuirostris_, Wagl. Mon. Psitt, in Abhand., vol. i. pp. 505
and 695.—G. R. Gray, List of Gen. of Birds, 2nd edit. p. 69.

_Psittacus tenuirostris_, Kuhl in Nov. Acta, tom. x. p. 88.

_Cacatua nasica_, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 183.

_Plyctolophus tenuirostris_, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol.
xiv. p. 108.

_The Red-vented Cockatoo_, Brown’s Ill., p. 10. pl. 5.

As I regard the Long-billed White Cockatoos from Western Australia and New South Wales as distinct, the habitat of the present species, so far as is yet known, is confined to the districts of Port Philip and South Australia, where it inhabits the interior rather than the neighbourhood of the coast. Like the common _Cacatua galerita_, it assembles in large flocks and spends much of its time on the ground, where it grubs up the roots of Orchids and other bulbous plants upon which it mainly subsists, and hence the necessity for its singularly-formed bill. It not unfrequently makes inroads to the newly-sown fields of corn, where it is the most destructive bird imaginable. It passes over the ground in a succession of hops, much more quickly than the _Cacatua galerita_; its powers of flight also exceed those of that bird, not perhaps in duration, but in the rapidity with which it passes through the air. I noticed this particularly when a flock passed me in the interior of South Australia. I have seen many individuals of this species in captivity, both in New South Wales and in this country; and although they appear to bear confinement equally as well as the other members of the family, they seemed more dull and morose, and of a very irritable temper.

The eggs, which are white, two in number, and about the size of those of the _Cacatua galerita_, are usually deposited on a layer of rotten wood at the bottom of holes in the larger gum-trees.

The sexes are alike in colour and size.

The general plumage white, washed with pale brimstone-yellow on the under surface of the wing, and with bright brimstone-yellow on the under surface of the tail; line across the forehead and lores scarlet; the feathers of the head, neck and breast are also scarlet at the base, showing through the white, particularly on the breast; irides light brown; bill white; naked skin round the eye greenish blue; legs and feet dull olive-grey.

The two figures in the accompanying Plate are rather less than the natural size.

NESTOR PRODUCTUS. (_Gould_)

_Drawn from Nature & on stone by J & E Gould._ _Printed by C.
Hullmandel._
]

NESTOR PRODUCTUS, _Gould_.
Phillip Island Parrot.

_Wilson’s Parrakeet_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 170.?

_Long-billed Parrakeet_, Ib., p. 171.?

_Plyctolophus productus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV. 1836,
p. 19.

_Nestor productus_, Gould, Syn. of the Birds of Australia, Part I.

I have considerable pleasure in being enabled to add a second and so beautiful a species as the present to the genus _Nestor_ of Wagler. Like its near ally, the _N. hypopolius_, which, so far as is yet known, is only found in New Zealand, the _N. productus_ has a very limited habitat, the entire race, as I am credibly informed, being confined to Phillip Island, whose whole circumference is not more than five miles in extent; so strictly in fact is it confined to this isolated spot, that many persons who have resided in Norfolk Island for years, have assured me its occurrence there is never known, although the distance from one island to the other is not more than three or four miles. I regret to state, that, in consequence of the settlement of Norfolk Island, the native haunts of this fine bird have been so intruded upon, and such a war of extermination been carried on against it, that if such be not the case already, the time is not far distant when the species will be completely extirpated, and, like the Dodo, its skin and bones become the only mementos of its existence.

Had I been able to visit Norfolk and Phillip Islands, I should certainly have made every inquiry into the native habits and economy of this very singular form among the Parrots, the nature of its food, mode of procuring it, &c.; and I would now urge the necessity of these investigations upon those who may be favourably situated for making them. Like all the other members of the extensive family of _Psittacidæ_, it bears captivity remarkably well, readily becoming contented, cheerful, and an amusing companion. During my stay at Sydney, I had an opportunity of seeing a living example in the possession of Major Anderson, and was much interested with many of its actions, which were so different from those of every other member of its family, that I felt convinced they were equally different and curious in a state of nature. This bird was not confined to a cage, but permitted to range over the house, along the floors of which it passed, not with the awkward waddling gait of a Parrot, but in a succession of leaps, precisely after the manner of the _Corvidæ_. Mrs. Anderson, to whom I am indebted for the little I could learn respecting it, informed me that it is found among the rocks and upon the loftiest trees of the island, that it is so tame as to be readily taken alive with a noose, and that it feeds upon the blossoms of the white-wood tree, or white _Hibiscus_, sucking the honey of the flowers: the mention of this latter circumstance induced me to examine the tongue of the bird, which presented a very peculiar structure, not, like that of the true honey-feeding Parrakeets (the _Trichoglossi_), furnished with a brush-like termination, but with a narrow horny scoop on the under side, which, together with the extremity of the tongue, resembled the end of a finger with the nail beneath instead of above: this peculiarity in the structure of the organ is doubtless indicative of a corresponding peculiarity in the nature of the food upon which the bird subsists. I may mention that Sir J. P. Millbank, Bart., informed me that a living example of this species in his possession evinced a strong partiality to the leaves of the common lettuce and other soft vegetables, and that it was also very fond of the juice of fruits, of cream and butter.

Mrs. Anderson told me that it lays four eggs in the hollow part of a tree, but beyond this I was unable to ascertain anything respecting its nidification.

Its voice is a hoarse, quacking, inharmonious noise, sometimes resembling the barking of a dog.

It would appear from the numerous specimens I have examined that the sexes scarcely differ from each other in colour; the young, on the contrary, have but little of the rich yellow and red markings of the breast, that part being olive-brown like the back.

The general colour of the upper surface brown; head and back of the neck tinged with grey, the feathers of these parts as well as of the back margined with a deeper tint; rump, belly, and under tail-coverts deep red; cheeks, throat, and chest yellow, the former tinged with red; shoulders on their inner surface yellow tinged with rufous olive; tail-feathers banded at the base with orange-yellow and brown; the inner webs of the quill-feathers at the base and beneath, with dusky red and brown; irides very dark brown; bill brown; nostrils, bare skin round the eye, and feet dark olive-brown.

Our Plate represents an old and a nearly adult bird, exhibiting traces of the immature plumage on the chest, of the natural size.

CALYPTORHYNCHUS BANKSII.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CALYPTORHYNCHUS BANKSII.
Banksian Cockatoo.

_Psittacus Banksii_, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 107.—Ib. Gen. Syn.,
p. 63, p. 109.—Parkinson’s Voy., p. 144.—Cook’s Voy., vol. ii. p.
18.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 476.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii.
p. 199. pl. 27 (female).

_Psittacus magnificus_, Shaw, Nat Misc., pl. 50.

_Calyptorhynchus Banksii_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv.
p. 271.

—— _stellatus_, Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand., tom. i. p. 683. pl. 27
(a very young bird).—Selby in Nat. Lib. Orn., vol. vi. Parrots, p.
134.

I have abundant reasons for stating that every portion of Australia yet visited by Europeans is inhabited by members of the genus _Calyptorhynchus_, and that at least six species are now known, each of which has its own peculiar limits, beyond which it seldom or never passes. The present species, which is one of those with which we first became acquainted, and to which, as will be seen above, several specific appellations have been given, is a native of New South Wales, out of which colony I have never known it to occur, its range appearing to be limited by Moreton Bay on the east and Port Philip on the south. It is not unfrequently seen in the immediate neighbourhood of Sydney and other large towns, and it alike frequents the brushes and the more open wooded parts of the colony, where it feeds on the seeds of the _Banksiæ_ and _Casuarinæ_, changing its diet however, as occasion may offer, to caterpillars, particularly those that infest the wattles and other low trees. The facility with which it procures these large grubs is no less remarkable than the structure of the bird’s bill, which is admirably adapted for scooping out the wood of both the larger and smaller branches, and by this means obtaining possession of the hidden treasure.

The Banksian Cockatoo is a suspicious and shy bird, and it requires a considerable degree of caution to approach it within gun-shot; there are times however, particularly when it is feeding, when this may be more readily accomplished. It never assembles in large flocks like the White Cockatoo, but moves about either in pairs or in small companies of from four to eight in number. Its flight is heavy, and the wings are moved with a flapping, laboured motion; it seldom mounts high in the air, for although its flight is somewhat protracted, and journeys of several miles are performed, it rarely rises higher than is sufficient to surmount the tops of the lofty _Eucalypti_, a tribe of trees it often frequents, and in the larger kinds of which it almost invariably breeds, depositing its two or three white eggs in some inaccessible hole, spout or dead limb, the only nest being the rotten wood at the bottom, or the chips made by the bird in forming an excavation.

The female and young birds of both sexes differ very considerably from the old male in the marking of their plumage, and hence has arisen no end of confusion and the various names assigned to this bird; the above list of synonyms has been worked out with considerable care, and will I believe be found correct.

It is with feelings of great pleasure that I find that the term _Banksii_, having the priority, the name of the illustrious Banks, will ever be retained as the distinctive appellation of this noble and ornamental bird; and I would that it were in my power to write as many pages respecting its habits and economy as I have lines; but this task must devolve upon some future historian of the productions of a country teeming with the highest interest, and who will doubtless find occupation in investigating the minute details of that respecting which I am only able to give a general outline.

The male has the entire plumage glossy greenish black, with a broad band of rich deep vermilion across the middle of all but the two central tail-feathers, and the external web of the outer feather on each side; feet mealy brown; bill in young specimens greyish white, in old specimens black.

The female has the general plumage glossy greenish black, each feather of the head, sides of the neck and wing-coverts pale yellow; under surface crossed by narrow irregular bars of pale yellow, becoming fainter on the abdomen; under tail-coverts crossed by narrow freckled bars of yellowish red; tail banded with red, passing into sulphur-yellow on the inner margins of the feathers, and interrupted by numerous narrow irregular bars and freckles of black.

The Plate represents the male and female about two-thirds of the natural size.

CALYPTORHYNCHUS MACRORHYNCHUS: _Gould_.

_Gould and H. C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CALYPTORHYNCHUS MACRORHYNCHUS, _Gould_.
Great-billed Black Cockatoo.

_Calyptorhynchus macrorhynchus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part X.
p. 138.

_Lȁr-a-wuk_, Natives of Taratong.

All the examples of this species that have come under my notice have been collected at Port Essington, where it is usually seen in small troops of from four to six in number. It has many characters in common with the Black Cockatoos of the south coast, but no species of the genus yet discovered has the bill so largely developed, which development is doubtless requisite to enable it to procure some peculiar kind of food at present unknown to us; it assimilates to the _C. Cookii_ of New South Wales in the lengthened form of its crest, but differs in having much shorter wings, and in the mandibles being fully one-third larger. The females of the two species also vary considerably in the colouring of the bands across the tail-feathers, which in the _C. Cookii_ is pure scarlet, while the same part of the female of the present bird is mingled yellow and scarlet. It differs from the _C. naso_ of Western Australia in having a larger bill than that species, and in the much greater length of the crest; a similar difference is also observable in the colouring of the tail-feathers of the females that has been already pointed out with regard to _C. Cookii_.

It is a very powerful species, and its habits and economy are so similar to the other members of the genus that a description of them would be superfluous.

The male has the whole of the plumage glossy bluish black; lateral tail-feathers, except the external web of the outer one, crossed by a broad band of fine scarlet; bill horn-colour; irides blackish brown; feet mealy blackish brown.

The female has the general plumage as in the male, but with the crest-feathers, those on the sides of the face and neck, and the wing-coverts spotted with light yellow; each feather of the under surface, but particularly the chest, crossed by several semicircular fasciæ of yellowish buff; lateral tail-feathers crossed on the under surface by numerous irregular bands of dull yellow, which are broad and freckled with black at the base of the tail, and become narrower and more irregular as they approach the tip; on the upper surface of the tail these bands are bright yellow at the base of the feathers, and gradually change into pale scarlet as they approach the tip; irides blackish brown.

The Plate represents the two sexes about two-thirds of the natural size.

CALYPTORHYNCHUS NASO: _Gould_

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CALYPTORHYNCHUS NASO, _Gould_.
Western Black Cockatoo.

_Calyptorhynchus naso_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part IV. p. 106.

_Kar-rak_, Aborigines of the mountain and lowland, and

_Keer-jan-dee_ of the Aborigines of the northern districts of Western
Australia.

_Red-tailed Black Cockatoo_ of the Colonists.

The characters by which this species is distinguished from the _Calyptorhynchus macrorhynchus_, are a smaller bill and a shorter and more rounded crest; the same characters, which I know to be constant, also distinguish it from the _C. Banksii_. The bill is inclined to be gibbose, like that of _C. Leachii_, to which species it also offers a further alliance in its shorter contour, rounded crest, and short tail.

The extent of range enjoyed by the _Calyptorhynchus naso_ I have not been able to ascertain; its great stronghold appears to be the colony of Swan River, where it inhabits all parts of the country. As might be expected, its habits and economy closely resemble those of the other members of the genus. Except in the breeding-season, when it pairs, it may often be observed in companies of from six to fifteen in number.

It breeds in the holes of trees, making no nest, but merely collecting the soft dead wood on which to deposit its eggs, which are generally placed in trees so difficult of access that even the natives dislike to climb them. The eggs are four or five in number; the four given to Mr. Gilbert by the son of the colonial chaplain were taken by a native from a hole in a very high white gum-tree, in the last week of October; they are white, one inch and eight lines long by one inch and four lines broad.

It flies slowly and heavily, and while on the wing utters a very harsh and grating cry, resembling the native name.

The stomach is membranous and capacious, and the food of those examined contained seeds of the _Eucalypti_, _Banksiæ_, &c.

The sexes, which differ considerably in colour, may be thus described:—

The male has the entire plumage glossy greenish black; lateral tail-feathers, except the external web of the outer one, crossed by a broad band of fine scarlet; irides dark blackish brown; bill bluish lead-colour, becoming much paler on the under side of the lower mandible; feet brownish black, with a leaden tinge.

The female has the upper surface similar to, but not so rich as, that of the male, and has an irregularly shaped spot of yellowish white near the tip of each of the feathers of the head, crest, cheeks and wing-coverts; the under surface brownish black, crossed by numerous narrow irregular bars of dull sulphur-yellow; the under tail-coverts crossed by several irregular bars of mingled yellow and dull scarlet; the lateral tail-feathers dull scarlet, fading into yellow on the base of the inner webs, and crossed by numerous irregular bars of black, which are narrow at the base of the feathers and gradually increase in breadth towards the tip.

The Plate represents the two sexes about two-thirds of the natural size.

CALYPTORHYNCHUS LEACHII.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CALYPTORHYNCHUS LEACHII.
Leach’s Cockatoo.

_Psittacus Banksii_, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 107. variety β.

_Banksian Cockatoo_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 91 A.—White’s
Journ., pl. in p. 139.—Phil. Bot. Bay, pl. in p. 267.—Lath. Gen.
Hist., vol. ii. p. 200 A.

_Psittacus Cookii_, Temm. in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 111.

———— _Solandri_, Temm. in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 113.

_Solander’s Cockatoo_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 201.

_Cook’s Cockatoo_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 201.

_Psittacus Leachii_, Kuhl, Consp. Psitt, in Nov. Acta, vol. x. p. 91.
pl. 3.

———— _Temminckii_, Kuhl, Consp. Psitt, in Nov. Acta, vol. x. p. 89.

_Calyptorhynchus Cookii_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p.
272.

———— _Solandri_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 274.

———— _Leachii_, Wagl. Mon. Psitt, in Abhand., vol. i. p. 683.

———— _Temminckii_, Wagl. Mon. Psitt, in Abhand., vol. i. p. 684.

———— _stellatus_, Selb. in Nat. Lib. Orn., vol. vi. Parrots, p. 134.
pl. 15.

_Carat_, Aborigines of New South Wales.

The _Calyptorhynchus Leachii_ is the least species of the genus yet discovered, and independently of its smaller size, it may be distinguished from its congeners by the more swollen and gibbose form of its bill. Its native habitat is New South Wales and South Australia. I obtained specimens of it on the Lower Namoi, more than three hundred miles in the interior; and the cedar brushes of the Liverpool range, Mr. Charles Throsby’s park at Bong-bong, and the sides of the creeks of the Upper Hunter, were also among the places in which I killed it. So invariably did I find it among the _Casuarinæ_, that those trees appeared to be as essential to its existence as the _Banksiæ_ are to that of some species of Honey-eater. The crops of those I killed were invariably filled with the seeds of the trees in question. Its disposition is less shy and distrusting than those of the _Calyptorhynchi Banksii_ and _funereus_, but little stratagem being required to get within gun-shot; when one is killed or wounded, the rest of the flock either fly around or perch on the neighbouring trees, and every one may be procured. It has the feeble, whining call of the other members of the genus. Its flight is laboured and heavy; but when it is necessary for it to pass to a distant part of the country, it mounts high in the air and sustains a flight of many miles.

It is not unusual to find individuals of this species with yellow feathers on the cheeks and other parts of the head; this variation I am unable to account for; it is evidently subject to no law, as it frequently happens that six or eight may be seen together without one of them exhibiting this mark, while on the contrary a like number may be encountered with two or three of them thus distinguished. To this circumstance, and to the variation in the colouring of the tail-feathers of the two sexes, may be attributed the voluminous list of synonyms pertaining to this species.

Why living examples of the members of this genus have not as yet reached Europe, is not easily to be accounted for. I found no difficulty in keeping a winged bird alive for a short time, and I doubt not that were the attempt made, it might be easily introduced to our aviaries; the real cause probably is the extreme difficulty of procuring young individuals, the breeding-place selected by the bird being holes in the highest trees situated in the most remote parts of the forests, where none but the Aborigines are likely to discover or able to procure them.

There is no doubt that Mr. Caley is right in the opinion expressed in his notes that this is the _Carat_ of the natives; and he adds that it lays two eggs in the holes of the trees; “does not cut off the branches of trees like the _Cal. funereus_, but cuts off _May-rybor-ro_ and _Mun-mow_ (the fruit of two species of _Persoonia_), without however eating them, before they are ripe, to the great injury and vexation of the natives.”

The adult male may at all times be distinguished from the female by the broad band of scarlet on the tail. The females and males during the first year have this part banded with black, as shown in the accompanying Plate.

The old male has the entire plumage glossy greenish black, washed with brown on the head and neck, with a broad band of deep vermilion across the middle of all but the two centre tail-feathers, and the external web of the outer feather on each side; irides very dark brown; orbits mealy black in some, in others pinky; bill dark horn-colour; feet mealy black.

The females and young males differ in having the head and neck browner than in the adult male, and in having the scarlet band on the tail crossed by narrow bands of greenish black.

The figures are nearly the size of life.

CALYPTORHYNCHUS FUNEREUS.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CALYPTORHYNCHUS FUNEREUS.
Funereal Cockatoo.

_Psittacus funereus_, Shaw, Nat. Misc., pl. 186.—Kuhl, Consp. Psitt.
in. Nova Acta, etc., vol. x. p. 89.—Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl., vol. i.
p. xxii.

_Funereal Cockatoo_, Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 202.

_Banksian Cockatoo_, Lath. Gen. Syn. Suppl., vol. i. p. 91. C.—Shaw,
Gen. Zool., vol. viii. p. 477.

_Calyptorhynchus funereus_, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv.
p. 271.

_Plyctolophus funeralis_, Swains. Class. of Birds, vol. ii. p. 302.

_Wy-la_, Aborigines of the Upper Hunter in New South Wales.

Although not the most powerful in its mandibles, the present bird is the largest species of the genus to which it belongs, its large wings and expansive tail being unequalled by those of any other member of the great family of _Psittacidæ_ yet discovered. The true habitat of the _Calyptorhynchus funereus_ is New South Wales, or that portion of the Australian continent forming its south-eastern division. Among other places, I observed it in the neighbourhood of Sydney, at Bong-bong, on Mosquito Island near the mouth of the River Hunter, and on the Liverpool range; and it may be said to be universally distributed over this part of the continent. The thick brushes clothing the mountain sides and bordering the coast-line, the trees of the plains and the more open country are equally frequented by it; at the same time it is nowhere very numerous, but is usually met with associated in small companies of from four to eight in number, except during the breeding season, when it is only to be seen in pairs. Its food is much varied; sometimes the great belts of Banksias are visited, and the seed-covers torn open for the sake of their contents; while at others it searches with avidity for the larvæ of the large caterpillars which are deposited in the wattles and gums. Its flight, as might be expected, is very heavy, flapping and laboured, but it sometimes dives about between the trees in a most rapid and extraordinary manner.

When busily engaged in scooping off the bark in search of its insect food, it may be approached very closely; and if one be shot, the remainder of the company will fly round for a short distance and perch on the neighbouring trees, until the whole are brought down, if you are desirous of so doing.

Its note is very singular,—a kind of whining call, which it is impossible to describe, but which somewhat resembles the syllables _Wy-la_, whence the native name.

The eggs, which are white and two in number, about one inch and five-eighths long by one inch and three-eighths broad, are deposited on the rotten wood in the hollow branch of a large gum.

Caley mentions that this bird has a habit of cutting off the smaller branches of the apple-trees (_Anophoræ_), apparently from no other than a mischievous motive.

The sexes are very nearly alike, and may be thus described:—

The general plumage brownish black, glossed with green, particularly on the head; feathers of the body, both above and beneath, narrowly margined with brown; ear-coverts dull wax-yellow; all but the two central tail-feathers crossed in the centre by a broad band, equal to half their length, of brimstone-yellow, thickly freckled with irregular zigzag markings of brownish black; the external web of the outer primary on each side, and the margin of the external web of the other banded feathers, brownish black; bill black in some and white in others, the latter being probably young birds; eyes blackish brown; feet mealy blackish brown; orbits in some black, in others pinkish red, and in others whitish.

The figure is about two-thirds of the natural size.

CALYTORHYNCHUS XANTHONOTUS: _Gould_.

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CALYPTORHYNCHUS XANTHONOTUS, _Gould_.
Yellow-eared Black Cockatoo.

_Calyptorhynchus xanthonotus_, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part V.
p. 151; and in Syn. Birds of Australia, Part IV.

The great stronghold of this species is Van Diemen’s Land, but I have also seen specimens from Flinders’ Island and South Australia, in all of which countries it is the representative of the _Calyptorhynchus funereus_ of New South Wales. It is very plentifully dispersed over all parts of Van Diemen’s Land, where it evinces a preference for the thickly wooded and mountainous districts; and is always to be observed in the gulleys under Mount Wellington, particularly in the neighbourhood of New Town. In fine weather it takes a higher range, but descends to the lower part of the country on the approach of rain, when it becomes excessively noisy, and utters as it flies a very peculiar whining cry. Its flight, from the enormous size of its wings, appears to be heavy and laborious, and while performing this action it presents a very remarkable appearance, its short neck, rounded head, and long wings and tail giving it a very singular contour. It is generally to be observed in companies of from four to ten in number, but occasionally in pairs only. I found it very shy and difficult of approach, which may perhaps be attributed to its being wantonly shot wherever it may be met with.

Its principal food is a large kind of caterpillar, which it obtains from the wattle- and gum-trees, and in procuring which it displays the greatest activity and perseverance, scooping off the bark and cutting through the thickest branch until it arrives at the object of its search; it is in fact surprising to see what enormous excavations it makes in the larger branches, and how expertly it cuts across the smaller ones: besides these large caterpillars, it also feeds upon the larvæ of several kinds of coleopterous insects, and occasionally, but not generally, on the seeds of the Banksias and berries; chrysalides were also found in the stomachs of some that were dissected.

I found it exceedingly difficult to obtain any particulars respecting the nidification of this bird, in consequence of its resorting for the performance of this duty to the most retired and inaccessible parts of the forests. Lieut. Breton, R.N., having informed me that a pair were breeding in a tree on the estate of Mr. Wettenhall, I requested him to use his influence with that gentleman to have their eggs procured for me, and on the 2nd of February 1839, I received a note from him in which he says:—

“In compliance with your request, I wrote to Mr. Wettenhall upon the subject of the Black Cockatoo’s nest, and he forthwith directed his shepherd to fell the tree in which the bird had established itself. It was situated in a gulley or bottom, and was about four feet and a half in diameter. The hole was from ninety to one hundred feet from the ground, two feet in depth, and made quite smooth, the heart of the tree being decayed. There was no appearance whatever of a nest. The tree was broken in pieces by the fall, and the contents of the hole or nest destroyed; the fragments, however, were sought for with the greatest care, and all that could be found are sent you. It may perhaps be as well to state, that both while the tree was being felled and for a short time afterwards, a Hawk kept attacking the Cockatoo, which flew in circles round the tree before it fell, uttering its loudest and most mournful notes, and at times turning upon the Hawk, until at length it flew off.”

The eggs are white, from two to four in number, and one inch and eight lines long by one inch and four lines broad.

The bird varies considerably in size and weight, some specimens weighing as much as one pound and ten ounces, while others weighed no more than one pound and three ounces.

The sexes, which differ but little from each other, may be thus described:—

Crown of the head, cheeks, throat, upper and under surface brownish black; feathers of the breast obscurely tipped with dull olive; ear-coverts yellow; two centre tail-feathers deep blackish brown, the remainder black at the base and tips, the central portion being in some specimens uniform light lemon-yellow, and in others the same colour blotched with spots and markings of brown; bill in some specimens white, in others blackish brown; feet greyish brown; orbits in some black, in others pink; irides nearly black.

I believe the birds with white bills to be immature.

The figures are about two-thirds of the natural size.

CALYPTORHYNCHUS BAUDINII: _Vig._

_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _Hullmandel & Walton Imp._
]

CALYPTORHYNCHUS BAUDINII, _Vig._
Baudin’s Cockatoo.

_Calyptorhynchus Baudinii_, Vig. in Lear’s Ill. Psitt., pl. 6.

_Oo-l̏aak_ of the Aborigines of the lowland, and

_Ngol-y̏e-nuk_ of the Aborigines of the mountain districts of Western
Australia.

_White-tailed Black Cockatoo_ of the Colonists.

This species, which is a native of Western Australia, is distinguished from all the other known members of the group by its smaller size and by the white markings of its tail-feathers. It belongs to that section of the Black Cockatoos in which a similarity of marking characterizes both sexes, such as _Calyptorhynchus funereus_ and _C. xanthonotus_. Like the other members of the genus it frequents the large forests of _Eucalypti_ and the belts of _Banksiæ_, upon the seeds of which it mainly subsists; occasionally it seeks its food on the ground, when insects, fallen seeds, &c. are equally partaken of; the larvæ of moths and other insects are also extracted by it from the trunks and limbs of such trees as are infested by them.

Its flight is heavy and apparently laboured: when on the wing it frequently utters a note very similar to its aboriginal name; at other times when perched on the trees it utters a harsh croaking sound, which is kept up all the time the bird is feeding.

It breeds in the holes of the highest white gum-trees, often in the most dense and retired part of the forest. The eggs are generally two in number, of a pure white; their average length being one inch and three-quarters by one inch and three-eighths in breadth. The breeding-season extends over the months of October, November and December.

Up to the time of writing this account I have never seen specimens from any other part of Australia than the colony of Swan River, over the whole of which it seems to be equally distributed.