77.  MYZANTHA GARRULA.—­The Old Soldier.

A very sociable and tame bird.  Its range is over the whole of south-eastern Australia, and we saw nests of these noisy birds at Fort Grey, in 29 degrees.  The general colour is grey; their bill, and some portion of the head being yellow.  They are fond of being near habitations, and frequent the trees round a stock station in great numbers.

78.  Sittella PILEATA, Gould.—­Black-capped Sittella.

A creeper, with a black head, and grey brown plumage.  Not very common, though often seen in the interior.  It is larger than the S. Chrysoptera.

79.  Cacatua galerita.—­Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.

This Cockatoo, the most common in Australia, is snow-white, with the exception of its crest, which is of a bright sulphur.  It is also the most mischievous of Australian birds, and not only plays sad havoc amongst the wheat when ripe, but soon clears a field that has been sown.  They are in immense flocks, and when in mischief always have sentinels at some prominent point to prevent their being taken by surprise, and signify the approach of a foe by a loud scream.  They build in the hollows of trees, and in vast numbers in the Murray cliffs, making them ring with their wild notes; and in that situation are out of reach of the natives.  They are abundant along the line of the Darling as high as Fort Bourke, but do not pass to the westward of that river, nor do they inhabit the interior.

80.  Cacatua Leadbeaterii.—­Leadbeater’s Cockatoo.

This beautiful Cockatoo is, like the first, of white plumage, with a light red shade under the wings.  He has a large sulphur and scarlet crest, which he erects to the best advantage when alarmed.  This Cockatoo frequents the pine forests near Gawler Town, and is seen wherever that tree abounds; but he is not common, although widely distributed over the interior; his range extending to the latitude of Fort Grey, in 29 degrees; far beyond where any pinetrees were to be found.

81.  Cacatua sanguinea, Gould.—­Blood-stained Cockatoo.

This is a smaller bird than either of the preceding; it is also of white plumage, with a light red down under the feathers; and, although it has the power of erecting the feathers on its head, it may be said to be crestless.  This bird succeeded Cacatua galerita, and was first seen in an immense flock on the grassy plains at the bottom of the Depot Creek, feeding on the grassy plains or under the trees, where it greedily sought the seeds of the kidney bean.  These cockatoos were very wild, and when they rose from the ground or the trees made a most discordant noise, their note being, if anything, still more disagreeable than that of either of the others.  They left us in April, and must have migrated to the N.E., as they did not pass us to the N.W., nor were they any where seen so numerous as at this place.