566 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



" The height of the largest or male of these young birds, to 

 the top of the back, was two feet two inches, and of the 

 female two feet. The height of the largest or male bird, 

 when erect, to the top of the head, was three feet two inches, 

 and of the female three feet." 



An egg presented to me by Dr. Bennett is five and a half 

 inches long by three and a half inches broad ; the ground- 

 colour very pale buff, with the entire surface covered with 

 pale green corrugations. 



An egg laid in the Gardens of the Zoological Society is 

 pale grass-green closely freckled with a paler colouring, and 

 much smoother and more finely granulated than that of the 

 Common Cassowary. It measures 6-0 by 3-45 inches, and 

 weighed 22J oz. Its shape is more elongated and pyriform 

 than that of the Cassowary or of the Emu. 



" The pair of Mooruks," says Dr. Sclater in his ' Notes on 

 the Incubation of Struthious Birds,' " which we received from 

 Australia in 1858 have last year, and again this year, bred in 

 the Zoological Gardens. The male performs the duties of in- 

 cubation, the female not interfering in the matter. Last year 

 after an incubation which lasted seven weeks, a single young 

 one was hatched on the 4th of September, but was unfortu- 

 nately destroyed by rats the same day. This year the male 

 commenced to sit on the 25th of April, on six eggs, and we 

 hope to be more fortunate." — Froc. Zool. Soc, 1863, p. 234. 



At a subsequent meeting Dr. Sclater reported that " on the 

 17th of June, after an incubation of fifty-two days, a single 

 young bird was produced, which, however, was in a very 

 weak state, and only lived about twelve hours. I may re- 

 mark that this is the fourth year in which the female Mooruk 

 has attempted to breed. In April 1860 three eggs were laid 

 without intercourse with the male bird, and of course unfruit- 

 ful. In 1861 four unproductive eggs Avere likewise deposited. 

 In 1862, out of six eggs deposited, a fine and healthy bird 

 was hatched on September the 4th, after seven weeks incuba- 



