52 Emu and Ostrich Farmhstg. 



time further than to shew you one of its eggs, I got it from a 

 friend, who had it in his possession for thirty years. His father 

 got it from an Indian surgeon. When my friend gave it to me 

 he hoped it might remain under my roof-tree as long as it had 

 been under his. He also stated that he had compared it with all 

 the eggs in G-oi'dou Cumming's collection, and it was larger than 

 any of his. I have kept it for forty-two years, and if its great- 

 grandfather^ i.e., the Indian surgeon, had it for thirty years it may 

 have seen the light a century ago, and has therefore almost become 

 an object of interest to the antiquarian members of our society, 

 as well as to those on the Natural History side. Then, through the 

 kindness of my friend Mr Bartlett, superintendent of the Zoological 

 Gardens, London, I am enabled to shew you a rarer egg than any 

 of them, viz., that of the Cassowary, as well as some feathers 

 from the back and two quills from the wing of that bird. These 

 quills are curious appendages, and their use is not very obvious. 

 There are five of them on each wing. The colour of the egg in 

 daylight is a fine olive green, quite a different shade from those 

 of the Emu. Size — of in. by 3i in. I have only one story of the 

 Cassowary. It is very short, so perhaps you will allow me to 

 tell it, but as the tragic event did not take place in my presence 

 I do not vouch for its truth. There are several versions of it, 

 but the one I know runs like this : — 



" There was once a Cassowary 

 On the plains of Timbuctoo 

 Who ate up a missionary, 



Carpet bag, and hymn book too." 



The belief in that story is quite optional. As I said, when the 

 Rheas had access to the grounds, they laid in queer places. On 

 one occasion a lady was on a visit, and on our going to sit out on 

 the lawn she spread a shawl on the ground but did not use it, pre- 

 ferring to sit on the grass. Great was her astonishment when a 

 Rhea joined the party and laid an egg on the shawl. Again, a 

 gentleman, who had just returned from Chi>ia, was staying with 

 us. Among his paraphernalia he had brought with him a pair of 

 Chinese slippers, made of plaited grass. One morning, when 

 going out for the day, he was putting on his walking boots at the 

 front door. He sat on the door step, and placed his slippers on 

 the gravel in front of him, when, to his amazement, a Rhea 

 dropped an egg in one of them. Once more, two of my men were 



