14 



3. In Struthious Birds the collection of the Zoo- 

 logical Society is altogether unrivalled. 



The African Ostrich, the Emeu, the Cassowary, and the 

 Rhea have generally been represented in sufficient number ; 

 but within the last year a specimen of the second species 

 of Rhea {Rhea darwinii) has been obtained; and Dr. Bennett 

 of Sydney has sent as a gift the first individual which has 

 ever been seen of a perfectly distinct species of Cassowary, 

 indigenous to New Britain, which has been described in 

 the Proceedings by Mr. Gould, and named C. bennettii, 

 in honour of the donor. 



We are thus in possession of the whole of the known 

 existing species of this important family, and have for 

 several years possessed an unique specimen of the Apteryx 

 mantellii, which perfectly represents that singular New 

 Zealand genus, the contemporary of the extinct Moas, 

 and the newly-found Notornis, of which possibly living 

 examples may one day reach us to bear it company. 



1. Struthio camelus. 5. Rhea americana. 



2. Dromaeus novse hollandiae. 6. darwinii. 



3. Casuarius galeatus. 7. Apteryx mantellii. 



4. bennettii. 



4i In the Bustards, the intermediate link between 

 the Ostriches and the Rasorial or Game Birds, we have, 

 within a very recent period, possessed the three European 

 species, the Indian Houbara, and the very beautiful 

 Bengal Bustard {Eupodotis bengalensis), of which two 

 fine males still adorn the collection. 



5. The Rasorial or Game Birds have always been 

 objects of attention, from their beauty, from their aptitude 

 to domestication, and from their value as an article of food. 

 Although one of the primary objects of the Society was 

 the introduction of exotic species of this group in parti- 

 cular, serious efforts towards that end had been from various 

 causes postponed until the year 1856, when formal appli- 

 cation was made to the Governor-general of India for his 

 assistance in obtaining a sufficient number of the brilliant 

 Gallinacece of the Himalaya, for the purpose of testing 

 fairly the probabilities of success in finally acclimatizing 

 these most desirable species in Europe. 



The extremely liberal manner in which Viscount Can- 

 ning and the officers to whom he confided the Society's 

 interest gave their assistance, secured a very large collec- 



