271 



" The first specimen of this bird was procured by Mr. Thomas 

 Wall, naturalist to the late expedition commanded by Mr. Kennedy. 

 This was shot near Cape York, in one of those almost inaccessible 

 gnllies which abound in that part of the Australian continent. The 

 Cassowary, when erect, stands aboiit 5 feet high. The head is with- 

 out feathers, but covered with a blue skin, and, hke the Emu, is 

 almost without wings, having mere rudiments. The body is thickly 

 covered with dark brovvn wiry feathers. On the head is a large pro- 

 tuberance or helmet of a bright red colour, and to the neck are 

 attached, likę helis, six or eight round fleshy balls of bright blue 

 and scarlet, which give the bird a very beautiful appearance. The 

 first, and indeed the only, specimen of the Australian Cassowary was 

 unfortunately left at Weymouth Bay, and has not been recovered. 

 Mr. Wall being most anxious for its preservation had secured it in a 

 canvas bag and carried it with him to the spot where, unfortunately 

 for himself and for science, it was lošt. In the ravine where the 

 bird was killed, as well as other deep and stony valleys of that 

 neighbourhood, they were seen running in companies of seven or 

 eight. On that part of the north-eastern coast, therefore, they are 

 probably plentiful, and will be met with in all the deep gullies at 

 the base of high hills. The flesh of this bird was eaten, and was 

 found to be delicious ; a single leg aflForded more substantial food 

 than ten or twelve hungry men could dispose of at one meal. The 

 Cassowary possesses great strength in its legs, and makes use of this 

 strength in the šame manner as the Emu.- Their whole buiid is, 

 however, more strong and heavy than that of the latter bird. They 

 are very wary, but their presence may be easily detected by their 

 utterance of a peculiarly loud uote, which is taken up and echoed 

 along the gullies ; and it would be easy to kili them with a rifle." 



The above account was furnished" to the 'lUustrated Sydney 

 Herald ' by Mr. Wall's brother, Mr. William Sheridan Wall, Cu- 

 rator of the Australian Museum. 



No skin of this species having yet been sent home, I am unable 

 to say if the bird be really a new species, or identical with the New 

 Guinea bird Casuarius galeatus. I trust, however, that the time is 

 not far distant when some expedition more fortunate than the one 

 to which Mr. Wall was attached may procure exaniples, and by 

 making us better acąuainted with the bird, enable us to decide this 

 point. 



2. Description of Eleven New Species of Birds from 

 Tropical America. By Philip Lutley Sclater. 



(Avės, PI. CXXX.) 



1. Campylorhynchus pardus. 



Supra albo nigroque tessellatus, alis nigris albo regulariter trans- 

 vittatis : catida nigra, rectricihus maculis magnis albis in 

 utroąue pagonio crebro transfasciatis : nucha brunnea : pileo 



