11^ 



Lkggk, 'lite Emus of Tasmaiiin mul Kiii^ Island. ...i '"I'.'i'n 



and much in excess of the species whose osseous remains have 

 been lately found in King Island. 



This locality is separated from Kangaroo Island by 400 miles 

 of ocean, and with the evidence adduced as to the distribution 

 of the Cassowary, the allied struthious form, it is out of the 

 range of all probability that the species inhabiting these two 

 distantly separated islands could have been identical.* In fact, 

 were the two forms alike in size, as might be shown, perhaps, by 

 a comparison of the bones, it does not follow that they should 

 be specifically the same unless it were possible to show that they 

 w^re the same in external character — plumage, soft parts, &c. 



I had the pleasure of examining the interesting series of leg 

 bones now in the Museum, in company with Mr. Morton, in 

 August, and comparing them with several examples of those of 

 the Australian Emu. The series of the latter is small, and the 

 Museum possesses no skeleton of this species, but the great 

 difference in size of the smaller species from King Island is so 

 apparent that one requires but a single example of the larger 

 D. nov<2-Jwllandi(E for comparison. 



In the table given beneath of the leg bones of the King 

 Island Emu it will be seen how much they vary in dimensions, 

 the smaller-sized being probably those of immature examples of 

 the species. This suggests the thought that by some great 

 catastrophe, such as a tidal wave, a whole colony of these Emus 

 was destroyed while taking shelter on or frequenting a sandy 

 hill or dune, which may in after years have been elevated above 

 its former level. 



The following are the measurements referred to relating to 

 the legs, the respective joints of which bear no relation to one 

 another as regards individual examples : — ■ 



DromcEUs, sp. .-' 



*At the time of recently writing on the sul)jecl and suggesting the name given 

 below for the King Island Emu, I was not so impressed by the facts adduced 

 regarding the restricted habitat of the Cassowaries in Papua, and thought D. aler 

 might have inhabited King Island. 



