CALYPTORHYNCHUS LEACHII.

Leach’s Cockatoo.

Psittacus Banksu, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. i. p. 107. variety 8.

Banksian Cockatoo, Lath. Gen. Syn. Supp., vol. ii. p. 91 A—White’s Journ., pl. in p. 189.—Phil. Bot. Bay, pl. in
p. 267.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. ii. p. 200 A.

Psittacus Cooku, Temm. in Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. oe lelele

 

— 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 Leachw, Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. in Nov. Acta, vol. x. p. 91. Ol, 8.
— Temminckii, Kuhl, Consp. Psitt. in Nov. Acta, vol. x. p. 89.
Calyptorhynchus Cooki, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. p. 272.

 

——_——— Solandri, Vig. and Horsf. in Linn. Trans., vol. xv. Onin
——_———— Leachi, Wagl. Mon. Psitt. in Abhand., vol. i. p. 683.
—————  Temmincku, Wag]. 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.

 

 

 

Tue Calyptorhynchus Leachii is the least species of the genus yet discovered, and independently of its smaller
size, 1t 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 Casuarine, that those trees appeared to
be as essential to its existence as the Banksie 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 Banksti 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 mem-
bers of the genus. Its flight 1s 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 hap-
pens 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 ex-
treme 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 Ca/. 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.