THE CASSOWARIES AND EMEUS 



in his possession, "one is considerably larger than the other, stouter in limb, and 

 more robust in every feature; it has a slight topknot, and goes strutting about, 

 especially in damp weather, with its breast feathers fully out, like a pouter pigeon, 

 or rather some huge turkey cock. It is usually the more courageous and pugilistic. 

 It makes a deep, hollow, guttural boom, when under any gentle excitement of 

 pride or pleasure, especially on damp evenings, or in the still hours of the night, 

 sounding like a small gong or distant muffled drum. The other is more agile and 



EMEU AND CHICKS. 



(One-seventeenth natural size. ) 



graceful in all its movements, corresponding with its slender frame, more docile 

 and inquisitive, fleeter of foot, and with no voice beyond a suppressed hiss when 

 angry, and a sort of grunt when distressed." The former, although at first regarded 

 as the cock, turned out to be the female. In their wild state emeus take readily 

 to the water, and have on more than one occasion been observed swimming a wide 

 river. Beneath the skin these birds have a thick layer of fat., yielding a pale 



