CACATUA EOS.
Rose-breasted Cockatoo.
Psittacus Eos, Acta-, tom. x. p. 8§.—Temm.PI. Col., 81.
Cacatua Gal. de^ifis., tom. ii. p. A p i 25.—Ib. Ency. Meth. Ora., Part in. p. 1414.—Less. Traite
Plyctolophus EoSy Yig; and Hors^m^Ej^^rans.,.-ypt xv. p. 269.
Rose-coloured Cockatoo, Lath. Gen. 207.
Cacatua roseicapilla, Wagl. Mon. Psjtfe^iyAbKand., pp. 504, 691.
| Eos, Less. Man. dAOra.^4BmTii~ >p^ 143.
The iMge/Cpctfatoo, Sturt’s Travels in Australia, vol. ii. pi. in p. 79.
T his beautiful Cockatoo is abundantly dispersed o ^ r/a great part of the interior of Australia; both Oxley
and Sturt speak of i^^^hKtbiting the q o ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ t^A l0^h^igst\of the Bine Mountain range of hills; in fact,
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 t^l)^^^^e|fi|^exis ts b e twe e n the birds from New South
Wales and those of the north coast. Those from the latter lph^ity are the largestinsize, and have the bare
skin round the eye,more extended'; th e |f o ^ ’colourKpf~ the breast and the grey colouring of the buck are
darker th ^ ^ ^ l^ p sp ^ cM M l^ I killed on the Namoi.
^ § ^ e = R o (se-breasted Cockatoo possesses cohSidcFaJ)lC;>po#er of wing, and like the house-pigeon of this
country, frequently passes in flocks o v e r^ ^ p p ld in ^ ^ ^ ^ g lo n g sweeping flight, 'the grpiij) at- one minute
displaying their beautiful silverygr^p^ ^ ^ S o the gaze of the spectator, and at the next by a simultaneous
change of position bringing thci.kr^6 5 osy breasts into |i '|^ ^ h e e f fe < $ |p f'^ ^ ^ ^ ^ o beautiful to behold,
j | l | | it is a source ;of r e ^ e |^% ^ e that my read^^ ^ ^ i^pafticipa tV in:the pleasure I have derived from
J h e ^ §M I was-ip^^^MlM the natives of th^^ampi that the bird had s o J |g ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ S : h e district,
that v^thin/the last two years it j^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ b e e n seen; they supposed it to have migrated from-the
north or interior of the country. Dffiing the years 1839 and 1840 it bred in considerable numbers in the -
holes of the large Eucalypti ^ p m ^ i t h e Nundewar r a n g e a f f o r d e d an abundant
supply of young ones for the.‘dra||nep.and stock-keepers t o S y d n e y , where they are sold fo ra
considerable sum to.beshipped.fo E n g l a n d ^ ^ ^ ^ H |^ |a r e very hardy, and bear cold and confinement
extremely well, and are perfectly c^htented i ^ a cage, we have, perhaps, more of them living in England at
the ^present time* t h ^ ^ ^ ^ J o t h e r species. oCjhAgenus. 1 have - seen® as tamerin^Australia as the ordi-
^ ^ p ^ h i^ e p ¥ cf; $£e farm-yard, enjoying perf|ct^liberty, ahd4^ ^ n% :^ p n d the door to receivA-food infe
company with the pigeons and poultry, amongst whiCpit Aungled oriAerms of intimate friendship.
In a letter received from my friend Captain Sturt, he says, “ Thei^se-bfeasted^ Cockatoo is a bird of
the low country entirely and limited in the extehtfof its habitat, never hcipg lbund in any great number o | |
the banks of the Darling, or rising h i|h erth a n i 600 feet abovethe level o fth e sea. It feeds on Salsola, and
'Jo&npiesAhose vast plains whmlplie immediately tc^he westward of the BluejMc^^^nJ^pIt has a peculiar
flight; and.the whole flock turning together shd^jthe ro s e ^ ) [^ |o f^ ih ^m d e r /surface with prettyweffect.’’-'
X have not yet seen specimens of this biS^hn^awy part of the Swan River colony, neither did I observe it
in any part of South Australia that l v i^ d f ; the eastern and northern portions of Australia are evidently
those ipost. f&equen|ed 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 downyJfeathers, which at an early age give place to the
colours which characterise, the plumage of the adult.
The sexes do not differ in polduring and scarcely in size, fufeindi^diials differ C o n ^ f e b iy in the depth
^ J kO ;.% t of the under surface, some t^ipg much deeper than others, and in the extent p f 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 re d ; orbits b r ic k e d ; bill white; feet mealy dark
brown.
The figures are of^^fe natural sizing