The CORELLA (_Nymphicus Novæ Hollandicæ_) is closely allied to the
Cockatoos, although belonging to the group of True Parrots. These birds
are fully a foot long, and nearly the same in their spread of wing. The
plumage is very variegated in its markings; the fore part of the head,
the tuft, and cheeks, are lemon colour; the ear-coverings bright orange;
the back of the neck, the two middle tail-feathers, and the outer border
of the wings, brownish grey; the back, shoulders, under side, and outer
tail-feathers, greyish chocolate brown. The shoulders and sides are the
darkest; the upper wing-covers are white; the eyes dark brown; the beak
lead colour; the feet blueish grey. The female resembles the male, except
that the face and the crest are dark olive green; the feathers near the
throat are brownish grey, those of the under parts of the body and upper
tail-cover yellow; the four middle feathers of the tail are grey, the
rest yellow, and, with the exception of the outer web, edged delicately
with brown. Gould, whom we have to thank for a full description of the
Corella, found this beautiful bird in great numbers in the interior of
Australia. On the coast it is rare in comparison with the thousands seen
on the plains of the interior, and in eastern Australia it seems to be
more numerous than in the western parts of that continent.
In summer the Corellas build their nests near the Hunter and Peel rivers,
and other streams running north, if they can find suitable trees. After
the breeding season they assemble in innumerable flocks, which cover
whole tracts of country, or alight in hundreds upon the overhanging
branches of the gum-trees. In September these flocks begin to migrate
to their breeding-place, and in February or March return to the north.
They devour grass seed, like the rest of their congeners, but cannot
live without water, and, therefore, must remain in the neighbourhood of
a stream. They are very active, run with facility on the ground, and fly
slowly but often to a considerable distance before they alight. They
are but little afraid of man, and if startled from the ground, wend
their way to the nearest tree, perch upon a branch, and, as soon as the
danger is over, return to the ground; not being shy, they are easily
captured. They lay five or six white eggs, about an inch long. Corellas
have only lately been brought to Europe in any considerable number; at
the present day they are to be met with in all large zoological gardens,
and may be obtained from the principal dealers in birds. They require
but little tending, and need no particular surroundings for breeding;
but they should be left as much as possible to themselves. Two birds in
the Hamburgh Zoological Gardens sat by turns on their eggs, the female
from the noon of one day to the forenoon of the next, and the male in the
intermediate hours. As far as we know, such a division of parental duties
has not been observed in any other parrots.