5i6 



NATURE 



{Oct. 14, 1875 



and circular elements are accordingly used in the forma- 

 tion of tables for the prediction of the positions of the 

 satellite. For the epoch 1873, December 31, Washington 

 mean noon, the mean longitude of the satellite, reckoned 

 from the intersection of the orbit with the plane parallel 

 to the earth's equator, and passing through the centre of 

 the planet, was 98°96 ; the node on equator, i83°'03, and 

 the inclination, i2i°7. The radius of the orbit at the 

 mean distance of Neptune [1*478 14] is found to be 

 i6'"'275, or 218,550 miles. The mean motion assumed at 

 the commencement of the discussion was that founded 

 upon the observations of Mr. Lassell (Hind, " Monthly 

 Notices," vol. xv.), and does not appear to admit of any 

 sensible correction. Prof. Newcomb thinks the motion of 

 mean longitude is correct within 2° or 3° a century. The 

 period of revolution of the satellite is 5*8769 days. 



No trace of a second satellite of Neptune has ever been 

 seen, though it has been looked for carefully on several 

 occasions. 



The conclusion to which Prof. Newcomb's investiga- 

 tions have led, " that the orbits of all the satellites of the 

 two outer planets are less excentric than those of the 

 planets of our system, and that, so far as observations 

 have yet shown, they may be perfect circles," will appear 

 a remarkable one. 



We take this opportunity of presenting the elements of 

 the orbits of Uranus and Neptune adopted in the Tables 

 of Prof. Newcomb, as perhaps an acceptable addition to 

 the preceding outline of his researches on the satellites of 

 these planets. The values of the major axes here given 

 are not those which would result from the mean motion 

 with correction for the mass, but in the case of Uranus 

 include a constant term in the perturbations of the radius 

 vector, and in that of Neptune, constants introduced by 

 the action of the planets, and effect of secular variation of 

 the longitude of the epoch : — 



Uranus. 



28° 25' 17" 



168 15 6 



Mean longitude, ) 

 iSsoJan. o-oG.M.T. \ 



Longitude of perihelion io» 15 b '7 



Ascending node 73 14 8 'o 



Inclination o 46 20*5 



Excentricity 00469236 



Mean motion in the ) j-.^./^.^j 



Julian year \ 54-5 75 



Semi-axis major 19-19130 



Period in days 30686*63 



Neptune. 



335° 5' 38"-9 



43 17 30*3 

 130 7 31-9 

 I 47 o • 6 

 00084962 



7864" -935 



30*07055 

 60186-64 



CASSOWARIES 



LIKE the minor planets. Cassowaries are of late years 

 continually increasing in number. A short time ago 

 there was but one "Cassowary" recognised by naturalists, 

 which was vaguely stated to inhabit "the Moluccas." 

 Even Mr. Wallace's extensive researches in the Indian 

 Archipelago only resulted in ascertaining the exact'island 

 to which the original Casuarius galeaius is restricted, 

 without making us acquainted with other species. But 

 recent expeditions into the less known parts of the Papuan 

 sub-region have led to a much more extended knowledge 

 of the subject, and we have now arrived at the conclusion 

 that the genus Casuarius embraces a numerous group of 

 species, each of which has special distinctive characters 

 and a peculiar geographical distribution. Six of these 

 forms of Cassowary are at the present time represented 

 by specimens living in the Gardens of the Zoological 

 Society of London, where they have attracted much 

 attention. It is with the hope of obtaining further exact 

 information concerning these fine birds from travellers 

 in the countries which they inhabit that I have drawn up 

 the following short summary of the present state of our 

 knowledge of the different species. 



The Cassowaries may be divided into three sections, as 

 shown in the subjoined table \— 



Table of Species of the Genus Casuarius. 



a. Casside lateraliter compressa ; appendicula cervicis aut duplici 

 aut divisa. 



1. C. gahatus, ex ins. Ceram. 



2. C. beccarit, ex ins. Aroensi Wokan. 



3. C. australis, ex Australia bor. 



4. C. bicarmtadains, ex ins. Aroensibu=;. 



b. Casside transversim compressa ; appendicula cervicis unica. 



5. C. tiniappendictilatns, ex Papua. 



c. Casside transversim compressa ; appendicula cervicis nulla. 



6. C, papuanus, ex Papua boreali. 



7. C. vjestermanni, ex ins. Papuana Jobie (?). 



8. C. picticollis, ex Papua meridionali. 



9. C. benneid, ex Nov. Britann. 



The first of these sections contains the large species 

 allied to the original C. galeatns. These have on their 

 heads an elevated casque, laterally compressed and termi- 

 nating in a ridge in the same line as the culmen of the 

 bill. They have also a large fleshy caruncle on the front 

 of the neck, ending in two distinct flaps. A single species, 

 which stands somewhat alone and forms a second section, 

 is also of large size, but has the casque transversely com- 

 pressed and ending in a ridge at a right angle to the culmen. 

 It has but one medial throat-wattle, whence it has been 

 named ziniappendiculatus. The third section embraces the 

 smaller species allied to Bennett's Cassowary, or the 

 Mooruk. These have the casque transversely compressed 

 as in the one-wattled species, but have no wattle on the 

 throat^only a bare, brightly coloured space. Theyaie 

 further distinguishable by the extraordinary form of the 

 claw of the inner toe, which attains a remarkable length 

 and is used as a weapon of attack. Of these three sections, 

 the following nine species are now known with more or 

 less certainty : — 



1. The Common Cassowary {G. gahatus), of which 

 there is now no doubt that the island of Ceram is the true 

 habitat. Of this species we have now one example, not 

 yet adult, in the Zoological Society's Gardens. 



2. Beccari's Cassowary {C. beccarit).—1\\\s form 

 is closely allied to C. galeatus, but is easily dis- 

 tinguishable from it by having only one medial throat- 

 wattle, which is slightly divided at the extremity. It 

 has a large elevated casque like the Australian Casso- 

 wary, and remarkably large strong legs. The species was 

 originally described by me from a specimen in the Museo 

 Civico at Genoa, which was brought by Beccari from the 

 Aroe Islands ; but the living individual now in the Zoolo- 

 gical Gardens (if it is really of the same species) was 

 obtained in the south of New Guinea by YiM.S: Basilisk. 



3. The Australian Cassowary (C. australis).— Oi 

 this Cassowary, remarkable in the adult for its large size 

 and highly elevated casque, we have now two specimens 

 living in the Gardens. It is a native of Northern Queens- 

 land and the peninsula of Cape York. 



4. The Two-wattled Cassowary (C bicartincu- 

 latus). — This species, which is easily known, even in the 

 young condition, by having the wattles separated and 

 placed far apart on the sides of the neck, was first 

 described from two examples, formerly living in the 

 Zoological Gardens, but now dead. There are several 

 stuffed specimens of it in the Leyden Museum, which, 

 were undoubtedly obtained in the Aroe Islands. 



5. The One-wattled Cassowary (C uniappendicu- 

 latus). — The single small wattle which ornaments the- 

 middle of the neck at once distinguishes this fine species, 

 of which we have now in the Gardens a young specimen 

 brought by H.M.S. Basilisk from the coast on the nortlr 

 of New Guinea, opposite Salawatty. There is a good 

 figure of this Cassowary in the supplement to Gould's 

 " Birds of Australia." 



6. The Papuan Cassowary (C papuaims).—1h:\s 

 name has been given to two specimens in the Leyden 

 Museum, obtained near Dorey, in New Guinea, by Rosen- 



