40 HECORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



1854. — A specimen of this bird was jti'ocuied by tlie late Mr. 

 Tliomas Wall, Naturalist to the Kxpedition comniaiuled by Mi-. 

 Kennedy. It was shot near Cape York in one of those almost 

 inaccessible gullies on that pai-t of tlie Australian continent. 

 This Cassowarj^ when erect stands about five feet high ; the 

 head is without feathers, but covered with a blue skin and like 

 the Emu, is almost without wings, having mere rudiments, the 

 body is thickly covei'ed with dai'k brown wiry feathers; on the 

 head is a large prominence or helmet of a bi-ight red colour, and 

 to the neck are attached, like bells six or eight round fleshy balls 

 of bright blue and scarlet which gives the bird a very beautiful 

 appeai-ance. The first and indeed, the onl\' specimen obtained 

 of the Australian Cassowary was unfortunately left at 

 Wejnnouth Bay, and has not been recovei-ed. Mr. Wall being 

 most anxious for its j)reservation had secured it in a canvass 

 bag, and carried it with him to the spot where it was UTifor- 

 tunately lost. In the ravine whei'e the bird was killed, as well 

 as other deep and stony valleys of that neighbourhood, it was 

 seen running in companies of seven oi' eight. On that part of 

 the north-eastern coast therefoi-e it is probably plentiful, and 

 will be met with in all the deep gullies at the base of high 

 hills. The flesh was eaten and found to \)v delicious ; a single 

 leg afforded more substantial food than ten or twelve hungi-y 

 men could dispose of at a single meal. The bii'd |)ossesses 

 gi'eat sti-ength in its legs and makes use of it in the same 

 mannei' as the Emu. Its whole l)iiil(l is iiioi-e strong and 

 heavy than the latter bird. It is very wai'y but its pivsence 

 may be easily identified by its utterance of a peculiaily loud 

 note, which is taken uy) and (H-hoed along the o-ullics; and it 

 could be easily killed with a rifle. 



The above account was fiii'iiislicd l)\ M f. 'riioiiias Wall's 

 brothei', Mr. William Sheridan Wall (the sccund) Ciiralor i.f 

 the Australian Museum." 



Gould had previouslv supplied \itiiiall\ tlu' saiiie informa- 

 tion to the Zoological Societv of London, ami it was pulilislied 

 in the " J'roceedings " foi- 1857 (p. 271). 



Accoi'ding to I)i'. P. li. Sclater at a nicclinu- of the Zoologi- 

 cal Soc-iety of London, held mi the 2Stli K('l)ruary. 1S()7, the 

 Secretai-y (Mr. now Di. \\ L. Schitfi) read 1 he following 

 extl'acts from a letter addressed hy l)r. (aftei wai-ds Hai'on) F. 



