Mr. P. L. Sclater on the Species of Strut hionida. 145 



i. p. 324), and other writers, and frequently referred to in the Holy 

 Scriptures*, should also be carefully examined. It is not impro- 

 bable that it may turn out to be a third species or well-marked local 

 variety. 



In the interior of Africa there is said by some of the older writers 

 to exist a diminutive Ostrich (VAutruchon). I have lately received 

 some information on this subject from Mr. J. Petherick, H.B.M. 

 Consul for Sudan, who tells me that his hunters have actually had 

 this bird alive, and I have requested him to endeavour to procure 

 further evidence on this point. 



II. Rhea. 



I have already pointed out above the characters which distinguish 

 Rhea macrorhyncha — the third species of the Neotropical type of the 

 Strut hionidce — from the two previously known, R. americana and 

 R. Barwinii. There are examples of all three living in the Society's 

 Gardens. 



III. Casuarius. 



The Indian Region, like the two Northern Geographical Regions — 

 the Palaearctic and Nearcticf — has no Struthious birds, — the genus 

 Casuarius being confined to the northern portion of the Australasian 

 Region, and represented in the main land of Australia by species of 

 the nearly allied genus Bromceus. Of Casuarius we have indications 

 of the existence of five species, as follows : — 



1 . Casuarius galeatus, the Common Cassowary. In the Leyden 

 Museum are specimens of this bird from Ceram, the only certain 

 locality I know for it. We have a very fine male example living in 

 our Gardens. 



2. Casuarius Bennettii (P. Z. S. 1857, p. 268, pi. 129; 1858, 

 p. 271 ; 1859, p. 32), the Mooruk of New Britain, of which we 

 have three examples in our Gardens. 



3. Casuarius australis (P. Z. S. 1857, p. 268), discovered by the 

 late Mr. Wall on Cape York, Northern Australia, and said to be 

 distinguished by a " bright red helmet and blue and scarlet carun- 

 cles.'' The only example yet obtained of this bird has been unfor- 

 tunately lost. 



4. Casuarius , a species living in the menagerie of the Babu 



Rajendra Mullick of Calcutta, and mentioned by Mr. BlythJ as 

 having " a yellow throat, a single yellow throat-wattle, and a long 

 stripe of naked yellow skin down each side of the neck." I have 

 not yet received Mr. Blyth's published description of this bird §. 



5. Casuarius bicarunculatus t a name I propose to apply to a Cas- 



* Isaiah, ch. xiii. v. 21 : " Habitabunt ibi Struthiones" translated in our ver- 

 sion * doleful creatures ! ' Also Lamentations, iv. 3; Job, xxxix. 13 et seq., and other 

 passages. The Ostrich was unclean according to the Jewish law. 



t Confer Journ. Proc. Linn. Soc. ii. p. 130 (1858). 



t Ibis, 1860, p. 193. 



§ [Mr. Blyth's description of this new species will be found at p. 113 of our 

 present Number. — Ed.] 



Ann. §• Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 3. Vol vi. 10 



