Pa, =. 
rt 
No. VIL. 
Tue following is an abstract of the paper read by Profes- 
sor Harrison on the 26th of January, 1846. (See page 184), 
It is generally known that Baron Cuvier, in the ‘* Regne 
Animale,” mentions two distinct species of Cassowary, one, 
the Galeated, or the Struthio Casouarius, found in several of 
the islands of the Indian Archipelago; the other, the Casoua- 
rius (or Dromaius) Nove Hollandiz. 
The first, or galeated cassowary, has the bill compressed 
laterally, the head surmounted with a bony prominence, co- 
vered with a corneous substance; the skin of the head and 
top of the neck naked, tinted with a sky-blue and flame colour, 
with pendant caruncles, like those of the turkey; the wings 
have stiff feathers, without barbs, and serve as weapons in 
fighting ; the claw of the internal toe is much the strongest. 
‘Next to the ostrich, this is the largest bird in nature, from 
which, however, it differs in internal organization, the intes- 
tines being short, and the cca and cloaca small, and no in- 
termediate stomach between the crop and gizzard; it lives on 
fruit and eggs, but not on grain. Its eggs are ofa green 
‘colour. The second, or New Holland cassowary, has the 
bill depressed, no helmet on the head, naked round the ear 
only; the plumage is brown, thicker, and more bearded; no 
caruncles or alar spines, and the claws are nearly equal. On 
its internal organization the Baron makes no remark, neither 
does he allude to the peculiar condition of the trachea, which 
_ forms a striking discriminating character between it and the 
‘galeated bird. Dr. Knox, the distinguished anatomist and 
lecturer in Edinburgh, in an extremely interesting paper, 
VOL. III. f 
a. 
