CACATUA OPHTHALMICA, Sevater.

Blue-eyed Cockatoo.

Cacatua ducorpsx (nec Hombr. & Jacq.), Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1862, p. 141, pl. xiv.

Cacatua ophthalmica, Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 188.—Wallace, tom. cit. p. 280.—Sclater, Ann. &
Mag. Nat. Hist. (8) xv. p. 74 (1865).—Id. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 184.—Gray, Hand-l. Birds, ii.
p- 169, no. 8392 (1870).—Id. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) v. p. 329 (1870).—Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc.
1877, p. 107.—Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civic. Genov. x. p. 25 (1877).—Id. Orn. Papuasia e delle Molucche,
i. p. 103 (1880).—Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1880, p. 67.—Id. List of Animals in Zool. Gard.p. 308 (1883).

Cacatua triton (pt.), Schleg, Nederl. Tijdschr. v. Dierk. iii. p. 320 (1866).

Plyctolophus ophthalmicus, Finsch, Papag. i. p. 282 (1867).—Id. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1879, p. 17.

 

Tus White Cockatoos, as Mr. Sclater has shown, may be divided into two very easily distinguished sections.
The first embraces those species which have a narrow median head-crest with the slender point recurved
at the extremity, and appearing above the surface of the adjoining feathers when the crest is in a state of
repose. The second contains those species which have the crest broadened, comprising the greater part
of the head-feathers, and rising, when erect, into a sphere more or less pyramidal in shape, but showing
when in a state of repose no recurved point. The present bird belongs to the second of these sections,
and is most nearly allied to two well-known species—the White-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua cristata of
Ternate and Halmahera, and the Rose-crested Cockatoo, C. moluccensis of Ceram, having a similar broad
pendent crest. But it may be easily distinguished from these two species, with which it nearly agrees
in size, by the delicate lemon-colour of its crest, and by the broad blue naked space round the eye, from
which latter feature it has received the appropriate name of ophthalmica.

In 1862 an example of this fine Cockatoo was first received by the Zoological Society of London. It
was at once recognized as a species unknown to him by Mr. Sclater, and described and figured in the
‘Proceedings.’ But misled, apparently, by the wrong locality attributed to this bird, which was stated to
have been received from the Solomon Islands, Mr. Sclater unfortunately referred it to Cacatua ducorpsi,
with which he was not at that period acquainted. In 1864, however, the receipt of authentic specimens
of the true Cacatua ducorpst direct from the Solomon group enabled Mr. Sclater to correct his error, and to
establish this bird in its proper position as a distinct species. Moreover its true locality is now well known
to us.

Specimens of this Cockatoo were in the collections made in Duke-of-York Island and the adjacent parts
of New Ireland and New Britain by Mr. George Brown, ©.M.ZS.. in 1877, Gee BaZas USi7eapan a
and in the collection made by Mr. Hubner ‘ny the same district in 1878, which was described by Dr. Finsch
in the Zoological Society’s ‘ Proceedings ° for 1879 (see P. Z. S. 1879, p. 17). Mr. Hiibner notes that the
native name of this bird in New Britain is “ Moal.” Again, 10 1880, Mr. George Brown, then resident
at Duke-of-York Island, forwarded a living pair of this Cockatoo to the Zoological Society’s Gardens, with the
information that the bird is found in New Britain, but not in New Ireland.

Our illustration of this Cockatoo bas been prepared from a female 1
The colours of the naked parts have been added from an example now living

specimen formerly living in the

Zoological Society’s Gardens.
in the same collection. (R. B. S.]