. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE GOLIATH ABA TOO. 397 large, sharply curved, and having its cutting edges two-toothed, while the lower mandible is comparatively small, and only furnished with a single tooth. It is a native of New Guinea and the neighboring islands, and is not a very common bird although specimens may be found in several museums. The peculiar formation of the tongue and beak would lead the ob- server to suppose that its habits must be different from those of ordinary Cockatoos ; but as lit- tle or no
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. THE GOLIATH ABA TOO. 397 large, sharply curved, and having its cutting edges two-toothed, while the lower mandible is comparatively small, and only furnished with a single tooth. It is a native of New Guinea and the neighboring islands, and is not a very common bird although specimens may be found in several museums. The peculiar formation of the tongue and beak would lead the ob- server to suppose that its habits must be different from those of ordinary Cockatoos ; but as lit- tle or nothing is known of its mode of life in a wild state, the precise use of these organs is rather problematical. In size, this bird is one of the largest of the Parrot tiibe, being equal to and in some cases exceeding that of the great macaws, although the absence of the long tail renders it a less conspicuous bird. The general color of this species is deep black, with a greenish gloss, caused chiefly by the large amount of wliitish powder which is secreted in certain imperfect quills, and thence scattered' among the feathers, giving them a kind of " bloom," like that of the plum or gi-ape. This substance is found very largely in most of the Par- rot tribe, and I well getting my coat powdered like that of a miller from playing with a great white Cockatoo. Many other birds, such as the vultures, possess this curious powdery substance, whose office is rather doubtful. The powder is produced from the forma- tive substance of the quill, which, instead of being developed into shaft and web, as in the case of the perfect quills, dries tip and is then thrown off in a dusty form. The imperfect quill-feathers can generally be seen intei-mixed with the rest of the plumage when the Cockatoo bends do^vn its head or plumes itself, and the white substance may be seen in the open ends of the imperfect quills, or lying thickly about them. In the case of the vultures it is thou
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
