6 A MANUAL OF THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Famiry CASUARIIDA. 
Only one genus is at present recognised, so that the characters given there- 
under are those of the family, but later certainly more genera will be utilised, as the 
differences in the species known are very great from a systematic point of view. 
Genus CASUARIUS. 
Casuartus Brisson, Ornith., Vol. V., p. 10, 1760. Type (by tautonymy): Casuwarius = 
Struthio casuarius Linné. 
Rhea Lacepéde, Tabl. Ois., p. 20, Dec. 1799. Species added by Daudin, in Hist. Nat. Buffon, 
ed. Didot, Quadr., Vol. XIV., p. 345, [1799 =] Oct. 1802. Type (by monotypy): Rhea 
casuarius = Struthio casuarius Linné. 
Cassowara Perry, Arcana, pt. 21 (pl. 82), Sept. Ist, 1811. Type (by monotypy): Cassowara 
extmia Perry = Struthio casuarius Linné. 
Cela Oken, Lehrb. der Naturg., Vol. III., Zool., 2 Abth., p. 646, 1816. Type (by monotypy) : 
Struthio casuarius Linné. 
Oxyporus “‘ Brookes, Catal. Mus. Joshua Brookes, pt. u., p. 95, July 1828. New name for 
Casuarius Lin.’’ Cf. Richmond (2), p. 628, Dec. 16th, 1908. 
Hippalectryo Gloger, Hand- u. Hilfsb., pt. vi., p. 452, 1841, p. xxxxiii., 1842 (early). Type 
(by monotypy): Hippalectryo indicus Gloger = Struthio casuarius Linné. 
Large Dromezornithes with small heads bearing a more or less developed bony 
helmet, long stout necks, stout bodies, small flightless wings bearing a few strong 
spines, no tail, very stout legs and feet with no hind-toe, but the inner toe much 
lengthened. The bill is as long as the head, with a large gape ; from the base arises 
an elongate triangular bony helmet ; the culmen is narrow with the side slopes 
steep, the tip decurved ; the nostrils are placed forward as elongate ovals in a long 
shallow groove. The under mandible has the rami narrow and grooved and a long 
interramicorn with a narrow interramal space which has a few hair-like feathers 
on it ; the edges of the tip of the under mandible are serrate. The head and neck 
are naked save for a few hair-like feathers and there are pendant wattles on front 
of neck, and wattle-like strips on sides. The wing is very short and shows about 
half a dozen hollow spines with no signs of barbs, succeeding a few degenerate feathers 
after the claw. There are no recognisable tail-feathers. The legs are very stout 
and fairly long, feathered to the tarsal joint and bearing a few very large scutes 
towards the toes which are regularly scuted ; sides of toes as rest of leg covered with 
hexagonal scutes. The middle toe is much longer than the outer and inner, which 
bears an elongated straight strong claw, the claws on the other toes being short 
and stout. There is no hind-toe and claw. All feathers with aftershaft equal to 
rhachis. Adult coloration black with coloured naked parts of neck. The downy 
young striped like that of preceding genus. Confined to Papuasia and North 
Queensland. 
3. Casuarius casuarius.—CASSOWARY. 
[Struthio casuarius Linné, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., p. 155, Jan. Ist, 1758: [Asia, Sumatra, 
Molucca, Banda =] Ceram. Extra-limital.] 
Gould, Suppl., pls. 70-71 (pt. v.), Aug. 1st, 1869. Mathews, Vol. I., pt. 1, pl. 5, Oct. 31st, 1910. 
Casuarius australis Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.), 1857, p. 270, Jan. 28th, 1858: North 
Queensland. 
Not Shaw, Nat. Miscell., Vol. ITI., pl. 99, April Ist, 1792. 
Casuarius johnsonit Mueller, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.), 1867, p. 242, June Ist: Gowrie Creek, 
Rockingham Bay, Queensland. 
Casuarius casuarius hamiltoni Mathews, Austral Av. Rec., Vol. II., No. 7, p. 124, Jan. 28th, 
1915: Cairns, North Queensland. 
DistRIBUTION.—The thick scrubs north of Cardwell, North Queensland. 
