366 AVES. 



its intestines are short, and the cseca small; the intermediate 

 stomach between the crop and gizzard is wanting, and its cloaca 

 is not larger in proportion than that of other birds. It feeds 

 on fruit and eggs, but not grain. The female lays a small 

 number of green eggs, which like the Ostrich she abandons to 

 the solar heat. Found in different islands of the Archipelago 

 of India. 



Cas. Novee-Hollandise, Lath.; Voy. de Peron, Atl. part 1, pi. 

 xxxvi; Vieill. Galer. pi. 226.(1) (The Cassowary of New Hol- 

 land.) A depressed beak; no helmet on the head; a little naked 

 skin about the ear; plumage brown and more of it; more barbs 

 to the feathers; no caruncles, or spurs on the wing; nails of 

 the toes about equal. Its flesh resembles beef. Its speed is 

 greater than that of the swiftest greyhound. The young ones 

 are striped with brown and black. (2) 



FAMILY II. 



PRESSIROSTRES. 



This family comprises genera with long legs, without a 

 thumb, or in which the thumb is too short to reach the ground. 

 The bill is moderate, but strong enough to penetrate the earth 

 in search of worms; hence we find those species in which it is 

 weakest frequenting meadows and newly ploughed grounds to 

 obtain that sort of food with more facility. Such as have 

 stronger beaks, also feed on herbs, grain, &c. 



(1) This constitutes the genus Emou, or Dbomaius of Vieillot. 



(2) N.B. I cannot allow room in this work for species so little known, and even 

 so poorly authenticated, as those which form the genus Didus of I.inna;us. 



The first, or the Didus inej)tus, is only known from a description drawn up by 

 the first Dutch navigators, and given by Clusius, Exot., p. 99, and from an oil 

 painting of the same period, copied by Edwards, pi. 294; for the description of 

 Herbert is puerile, and all others are copied from Clusius and Edwards. It seems 

 that the species has completely disappeared, nothing remaining of it at the present 

 day but a foot preserved in the British Mur;eum (Shaw, Nat. Misc. pi. 143), and a 

 head in very bad condition possessed by the Asmolean Museum of Oxford (Id. lb. 

 pi. 166.) The beak bears some resemblance to that of the Penguins, and the foot, 

 if it were palmated would be like that of the Aptenodytes. 



The second species, Didus solitarius, rests on the bare testimony of Leguat, 

 Voy. I, p. 98, a man who has disfigured well known animals, such as the Hippo- 

 potamus and the Lamantin. 



The third, Didus nazaremusy is only known from the account of Fran9ois 



