376 THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 



and back is light rufous brown ; the feathers margined with black 

 or blackish brown, giving the whole a strongly striated appearance; 

 on the lower part of the back and rump, the markings are not so 

 well defined, and the margins of the feathers are of a dull brownish 

 tint ; the upper tail-coverts are more rufous ; the median ones 

 somewhat barred, the outer series rufous ; tail rufous, washed 

 with brown on the two centre feathers ; under tail and wing- 

 coverts, and the bases of the quills rufous or rich cinnamon 

 color ; wings above brown, margined with light rufous ; the throat, 

 chest, and abdomen, light brown, washed with cinnamon of a 

 rufous tint on the sides of the chest ; bill, bluish horn color ; 

 iris brown. In size it is about the same of G. quoyi. Total 

 length from base of bill, Ll*5 inches; wing, 6*8 inches; tail, 

 5*8 inches; tarsi, 1*7 inches; bill, 2*2 inches ; height at nostril, 

 0*75 inch ; width at nostril, 0*45 inch. 



The only thing in favor of this bird being a distinct species, is 

 the fact that on six different occasions, some of our best 

 taxidermists have collected during the whole season in districts 

 in which G. quoyi is plentiful, without once having met with any 

 bird in a similar stage of plumage. 



Notes on the Australian Cassowary, G. australis (Wall). 



PL XI. 



Mr. White, of the Reed Beds, Adelaide, while passing through 

 Sydney on his way home, last week, has kindly allowed me to 

 examine some fine adult specimens of the Australian Cassowary 

 which he obtained while collecting at Trinity Bay. Mr. White 

 drew my attention to a marked peculiarity in the shape of the 

 helmet of the males ; the hinder part of the top ridge is wrinkled 

 and bent over to the right, as if the growth on the hinder margin 

 had been retarded while that of the front had overgrown, and 

 caused it to be wrinkled and curved. The accompanying plate 

 will show this peculiarity, which Mr. White informs me 



