CASSOWARY. U4 
Adult.—This species, which is distinguished by its very high casque (thinner 
above), long nail of inner toe, and the very large wattles on the fore-neck, is black 
both above and below with dark brown bases to the feathers—the feathers being 
much elongated, narrow, and disintegrated with black shining shafts which are 
destitute of webs towards the ends. The wings are rudimentary and furnished with 
porcupine-like black quills without any webs whatever ; head and neck all round, 
including the two wattles on the lower fore-neck, bare. For colour of soft parts 
see below. Total length about 60 inches from top of casque to tips of feathers at 
the end of the body ; bill from gape 139 mm., culmen from base of casque 65, 
tarsus 317, middle toe and claw 159. 
Young (quarter grown).—Head and hind-neck chestnut rufous. Chin, throat 
and fore-neck densely covered with short downy feathers of a brownish-buff colour. 
Rest of body clayey brownish-yellow mixed with dark rufous. 
Young (two-thirds grown).—Plumage brown. Head and occiput, dull pale 
blue ; lower hind-neck, orange ; fore-neck leaden-blue ; lower naked sides of neck 
blue, mixed with livid purple. 
Chick—Head and hind-neck pale rufous; fore-neck yellowish-buff ; rest of 
body yellowish-buff. From base of neck to end of tail along the back run three 
broad longitudinal black bands, variegated with rufous, and each about seven-eighths 
of aninch wide. On the sides are three irregular wavy black bands extending from 
the shoulder-girdle down the sides to the beginning of the metatarsus. 
Nest.—A bed of sticks, leaves, and such-like vegetable debris, usually placed 
near the base of a large tree in dense scrub. 
Eggs.—Clutch, four to six ; some authorities state three to five ; of a graceful 
elliptical form, and superficially like shagreen or rough American cloth, but not so 
rough or granulated as the Emu’s (Dromiceius) egg. General appearance in colour, 
beautiful light pea-green, but if examined vertically the raised rough particles only 
of the shell will be found to be green, while the minute interstices are greenish-white. 
Dimensions 138-141 mm. by 92-97. 
Breeding-season—July to September. 
Incubation-period.—About eight weeks. 
Distribution and forms——From Ceram through New Guinea into northern 
Queensland. Many forms have been separated, chiefly by means of coloration of 
head and neck, and as there are no definite conclusions yet possible we will simply 
note those of the two suggested forms living in Australia. In the form named 
C. c. hamiltoni Mathews the front and sides of the neck as well as the whole of the 
sides of the head and nape, pale blue ; the whole of the back of the neck pale orange- 
yellow ; the lobe extending down the lower neck deep purple ; appendages bright 
lake ; between gape and ear a triangular spot of lake connected with the appendages 
by a raised rib of skin of the same colour. In descriptions of C. c. johnsonii Mueller 
we read coloration of fore-neck bright purplish-blue, and of nape pale greenish-blue, 
and of the lobe half deep orange and half purple, and a preoral patch is unmentioned. 
Susctass IMPENNES. 
The limits of the subclass are coincident with those of the order and suborder, 
and the extraordinary superficial characters are common to all members. The 
erect stature, the degraded miniature wings, short flat feet are all distinctive. The 
wings have no specialised flight feathers but are covered with small scale-like 
feathers, and are used for swimming only. They are all seabirds living in the 
Antarctic and Sub-antarctic Regions, the largest breeding among perpetual ice, and 
always gregariously. 
We have separated two families, the Spheniscide or Thick-billed Penguins and 
the Aptenodytide or Thin-billed Penguins, but recent investigation has suggested 
