i90putar Hh'ctt'onarti of gmmatrtr Mature. 107 



prolongation from the 

 thorax and elytra, and 

 which even conceals the | 

 head ; and they are able | 

 to lie so close upon the 

 surface of the leaves, 

 that no part of the body 

 or limbs can be seen. 

 Their colours are much 

 varied, and often very 

 prettily arranged in 

 spots, points, rays, &c. 

 nrs . The family is very nu- 

 merous in genera and 

 species, and among the exotic species are 

 several of great beauty ; but when dead, or 

 taken out of spirits of wine in which they 

 may have been preserved, their metallic bril- 

 liancy for the most part disappears. 



The COMMON GREEN CASSIDA, or Cassula 

 viridfa, is often seen during the summer 

 months in gardens on the leaves of mint, 

 &c. Its length is not quite a quarter of an 

 inch ; its shape oval, and its colour bright 

 green above, the body or under part being 

 perfectly black. The larva, which is of a 

 highly singular appearance, is oval, of a 

 yellowish brown colour, and has the body 

 edged with a row or fringe of projecting 

 fibres, the two terminal ones being much 

 longer than the rest, and generally carried in 

 an upright position while the insect is in 

 motion. When ready to assume the chrv- 

 salid form, it fastens itself to a leaf, and. 

 casting its skin, commences its new state of 

 existence ; and from the chrysalis, in the 

 space of three weeks, comes forth the perfect 

 insect. 



CASSOWARY. (Casuarius.) This large 

 and powerful Struthionidous bird is a 

 native of Java and the adjacent islands 

 of the Indian Archipelago, and is called 

 the galcMted or helmeted Cassowary, from 

 its head being surmounted by a sort of 

 osseous crest or horny helmet. The skin 

 of the head and upper part of the neck are 

 naked, of a deep-blue and fiery-red tint, 

 with pendent caruncles, similar to those 



form of its head, and bright eyes, it would 

 be reasonable to infer that the Cassowary 

 was of a fierce and threatening nature ; 

 this, however, is not a true indication of its 



CASSOWARY. (CASUAfUTJS OAI/BATtTS,) 



of the Turkey-cock. It is much inferior in 

 size to the Ostrich, its height when erect 

 being little more than five feet ; but it is 

 robustly built, and very strong. From the 



character, which is rather timorous and shy. 



tvings to 

 for flying, and its pectoral or wing-muscles 



The shortness of the wings totally u 



id shy. 

 nfits "it 



are comparatively slight and weak. 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 ; yet its whole plumage is so poorly 

 supplied with feathers as to resemble, at a 

 little distance, a coat of coarse or hanging 

 hair. The feathers on the head and neck 

 are so short and scattered, that the skin 

 appears naked, except towards the hind part 

 of the head, where they are somewhat longer. 

 In many important points of internal 

 structure the Cassowary differs from the 

 Ostrich ; particularly in the conformation of 

 its digestive organs. The intestines are short, 

 and the cctxum 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, and tender herbage, but not on 

 grain. It eats its food with great voracity, 

 and, like the ostrich, swallows bits of iron, 

 brick, glass, &c., which have the same effect 

 in assisting the digestion of these large birds, 

 that gravel has with ordinary fowls. The 

 Cassowary is an amazingly swift runner ; 

 and its mode of progression, being unaided 

 by wings, is as peculiar as it is efficient. It 

 appears to strike out powerfully with one 

 leg, so as to project its body violently for- 

 ward with a bounding motion, far surpassing 

 the speed of a horse. It also kicks violently 

 when, in a state of captivity, it is provoked 

 to anger, and can inflict a very severe blow. 

 The eggs of the galeated Cassowary are of a 

 greyish-ash colour, verging to green, and 

 are neither as round nor as large as those of 

 the Ostrich : the shell is not very thick, and 

 is marked by numerous little green tuber- 

 cles. 



CASTOR. [See BEAVEB.] 

 CASUARIUS. [See CASSOWAKT.] 



CAT. (Felis.) All animals of the Cat 

 kind, though they may differ greatly in 

 size and colour, are in their wild state 

 equally characterized by fierceness, artful- 

 ness, and rapacity. It is not, however, in 

 this place that the habits, propensities, or 

 anatomical structure of the feline race gene- 

 rally are to be discussed : the reader must 

 refer to the article FKLIS for such remarks on 

 those heads as we have deemed it essential 

 to introduce. 



The Cat, (Felis catus fe.rw\ in a state of 

 natural wildness differs in some slight parti- 

 culars from the domestic animal, having a 

 somewhat shorter tail in proportion, a flatter 

 and larger head, and stronger limbs. The 

 colour of the wild Cat is commonly a pale 

 yellowish-grey, with dusky stripes ; those on 

 the back running lengthwise, those on the 

 sides transversely and with a curved di- 



