84 



CASSOAVARY CAST ENGRAVINGS. 



wings of the ostrich are of some assistance to it 

 in running, but those of the cassowary are too short 

 even to be of sen-ice in this way. Indeed, its whole 

 plumage is so poorly supplied with feathers as to re- 

 seiuble, at a little distance, a coat of coarse or hang- 

 ing liair. The cassowaries have three toes, all pro- 

 vided with nails. Two species of the genus are well 

 known, the common cassowary (cattiarius, B. ; stru- 

 fAio casuaritu, L.), inhabiting various islands of the 

 Indian archipelago ; and the emeu (C. Nova Hol- 

 landitt), or Ne\o Holland cassowary. The first spe- 

 cies, called galeated or helmeted cassowary, has a 

 laterally compressed beak, with a head surmounted 

 by an osseous prominence, covered with a sort of 

 homy helmet ; the skin of the head and superioc part 

 of the neck is naked, of a deep-blue and fiery-red tint, 

 with pendent caruncles, similar to those, of the tur- 

 key-cock. There are some naked, rigid quills on 

 the wings, which are used as weapons of defence. 

 The inner toe-nail is the largest of all. The ostrich 

 is the only bird which surpasses the cassowary in size 

 and strength. From the form of its head, and bright 

 eyes, the cassowary is of a tierce and threatening as- 

 pect. This, however, is not a true indication of his 

 character, which is rather timorous and shy. It is 

 about five and a half feet long, from the tip of the 

 bill to the extremity of the longest claw. The head 

 and neck together measure eighteen inches, and the 

 largest toe, including the claw, is five incites long. 

 The claw of the inner toe is three and a half inches 

 long. All the feathers of the cassowary are of the 

 same kind, being entirely designed for covering, and 

 externally are all of one colour. They generally 

 grow double, having two long shafts growing out of 

 a short one attached to the skin. The double fea- 

 thers are all of unequal length, some on the nunp 

 being twelve or fourteen inches long, while others 

 are only three. The stem or shaft is flat, shining, 

 black, and knotted below, having a beard arising 

 from each knot. The beards at the ends of the large 

 feathers are perfectly black, and towards the root of 

 a tawny grey. The feathers on the head and neck 

 are so short and scattered, tliat the skin appears 

 naked, except towards the hind part of the head, 

 where they are somewhat longer. The wings, with- 

 out the feathers, are not more than three niches long. 

 The rigid quills or prickles already mentioned are 

 five ; the longest is eleven inches in length, and a 

 quarter of an inch thick at the base. The helmet is 

 black in front, and yellow behind. The eye is of a 

 bright yellow, and more than an inch in diameter. 



The anatomy of the cassowary differs very materi- 

 ally from tliat of the ostrich, which it resembles so 

 much in general appearance and habits. The intes- 

 tines are short, and the coicum small ; there is no 

 stomach intermediate to the crop and gizzard, and 

 the cloaca is not larger, in proportion, than that of 

 other birds. It feeds on fruits, eggs of birds, &c. , 

 but never on grain. It swallows its food with great 

 voracity, and, like the ostrich, bolts down bits of 

 iron, broken brick, glass, &c., without injury. In 

 fact, such substances perform the service, in the di- 

 gestion of these great birds, that gravel does in that 

 of ordinary fowls. 



As might be inferred from its structure, the casso- 

 wary is a swift runner, and its mode of progression, 

 being unaided by wings, is as peculiar as it is effi- 

 cient. In running, the cassowary appears to strike 

 out powerfully with one leg, so as to project its body 

 violently forward with a bounding motion, far sur- 

 passing the speed of a horse. It also kicks violent- 

 ly when, in a state of captivity, it is provoked to an- 

 ger, and can inflict a very severe blow. The eggs 

 of the gateated cassowary are of a greyish-ash col- 

 our, verging to green, and arc- neither as round nor 



as large as those of the ostrich. The shell is not 

 very thick, and is marked by numerous little deep- 

 green tubercles. The largest of their eggs measure 

 about fifteen inches in length, and twelve round. 



The emeu, or New Holland cassowary, differs from 

 that of the old world by being much larger, and 

 standing higher on its leg's, being seven feet two in- 

 ches in length. The head is destitute of the helmet, 

 and feathered throughout, except around the ear. 

 The plumage is thicker, and the webs of the feathers 

 more perfect. It lias neither caruncles to the neck 

 nor prickles on the wings. The nails of the toes 

 are nearly equal. The legs are stout, similar to 

 those of the galeated species, but jagged or dentated 

 along the whole of their back part. The emeu is 

 swifter in running than the fleetest grey-hound. It 

 has not yet been found anywhere but in New Hol- 

 land. The flesh has a considerable resemblance to 

 beef. The young of the New Holland cassowary 

 are striped with white and brown. 



CAST, in the fine arts, is an impression taken 

 by means of wax, or plaster of Paris, from a statue, 

 bust, basso-relievo, or any other model, animate or 

 inanimate. In taking a cast from a living person's 

 face, it is necessary, first, to anoint the eye-brows 

 and eye-lashes and any hairs about the cheeks and 

 temples, with a little sweet oil ; then to insert two 

 tubes (oiled also) of pasteboard into the nostrils, so 

 that breathing may be performed through them ; a 

 handkerchief is then to be tied loosely over the face, 

 and the head sloped backwards in an elbow clrnir or 

 sofa. Powdered and calcined plaster of Paris is then 

 to be mixed with spring water to the consistence of 

 cream, and poured in between the face and handker- 

 chief to the depth of half an inch. On becoming fixed 

 or hard, it is to be removed and left to dry. When 

 dried thoroughly it is to be well soaked with lint- 

 seed oil, and an impression may then be taken from 

 it, in plaster of Paris or soft clay ; the hollow cast 

 being first split longitudinally down the nose, so thru 

 the ouject cast may be more easily removed. See 

 Modelling and Sculpture. 



It ought to be observed, that all models should be 

 divided into several pieces or joints ; thus, in that 

 covering any round body, one side must be covered, 

 first, with the plaster, and the sides pared with a 

 knife, ami smeared with clay and water, then the re- 

 maining part of the object covered with plaster, and 

 a joint will thus be formed between the two parts ; 

 for, wherever the mixture of clay and water has been 

 applied with a hair brush, the cast will not adhere, 

 and, therefore, will be easily separated with the blunt 

 edge of a knife. It is usual also to make small pits 

 or depressions on the edges, of the si^e of small but- 

 tons, on the edges of the joints of moulds, so tliat 

 they may lock together well when added, and thus 

 fit closely. 



Plaster casts are varnished by a mixture of soap 

 and white wax in boiling water. A quarter of an 

 ounce of soap is dissolved in a pint of water, and an 

 equal quantity of wax afterwards incorporated. The 

 cast is dipped in this liquid, and, after drying a week, 

 is polished by rubbing with soft linen. The surface 

 produced in this manner approaches to the polish of 

 marble. When plaster casts are to be exposed to 

 the weather, their durability is greatly increased by 

 saturating them with linseed oil, with which wax or 

 rosin may be combined. When intended to resem- 

 ble bronze, a soap is used, made of linseed oil and 

 soda, coloured by the sulphates of copper and iron. 

 Walls ami ceilings are rendered water-proof in the 

 same way. See an abstract of a memoir of D'Arcet 

 and Thenard, in Brande's Journal, vol. xxii.. 184, 

 and Franklin's Journal, iL, 276. 



CAST ENGRAVINGS. An important discovery 



