////: i/:) 507 



in cxtraoi-dinai -\ mimiN-i- all o\.-r tl ounir\ Th.-\ .-itli.-i lie scattered singly, in 



which IM-.- iln-y an- never li:i t< li.- I. an<l are called by tin- S|n, 



roll. -.-I. -I to-.-iher int.. :i hollow excuvat i< .ii. which forms the nest. <m of the four ne-t.- 

 which I NUW. three coiitain.-d tw.-m\ twoeggs each, ami tli.- fourth twenty-seven. In inn* day's 

 huntm- on hor>-ba.-k -ixt\ four eggs wen- found; forty four <>f these were in two nesta, and 

 the remaining twenty, scatter**! hiiaciios. Tin- (Jam -ho- unanimoii-l\ allinn. and there is no 

 reason in d<>ul>t tln-ir -tai.-m.-n!. licit ill- in. ili- bird alum- hatches the eggs, and that he, fur 



>omc time aftei ard- u| U m i whil< in tii< nest, lie* verj alow; 1 



!. r. iii) -:"." - ; ; ..-..- : crt< Ihul I such linn ill- \ ;nv ... BMfaad|j 



ti . ami . .-,-: n. ...-. . : I . . . . known to attack u man on li..i-.-l.a.-k. tr\ 

 in:: t<> ki'-k an<l l>-a|>i>n liim. M\ inrrmaiii |x>int>i| out to me an old man whom he hud seen 

 nim-'ii tiTi-ilii-.! ly <m.- <if tlu>>- liinls rlia-iii^' him." 



In raptivity it i- rath>r an amu-im: liinl. and i-asily doiiM-Mic-atcd. Suni-tinu-s it .H.-..IH-, to 

 IN- taki-n \\ithatit.and runs ii|i aii<l down it- iin-lo-nn- a- if it wt-ii- U-in^ rhiLstil. hnldiiiK it.s 

 uiii^'- from tin* !NN|\ and ap]M*arin^ in tli.-mo-t dr-p.-rati- -tat.- of alarm. Tliis is only a j^liam 

 aft-r all. a m.-i-i- iiutlmrst of frolic, for tin- lird immediately Mil>Md-s int< i]iii-tiidi'. and 

 rt'Minu's it.s leisim-1; iDtMti ' I ; . I :-.;:: ; :. \, \>- 1. it utt.-i- a ki nd 



of crunt a> a warnini:. and if tin- otT.-ni .- ! r.'|H-at-l, hi.HHeH nharj>ly, di-aw- liark it> h.-ad. and 

 ^m> poi-in_' it-.-l! foi I -".". i '.- - : . ' ifl .1 hollow sound, -.iii'-ihin_- lik.- ih.- m.i-- pro 

 dn.-.-d l>y .striking a tin ran with a \VIMM|I-U mallet, and every time that it is produced the 

 thrmt swells and >ink> <-oii\ ul-ivel\ . Tin- yoiinir are pn-tty little liinis, |>ert, ln-j-k. an<l 

 lively, and are colored rather prettily, their pwral hue U-in^ ^rray. -tri]-l with hlack, each 

 ie having a cream -colored line alon-4 its ri-ntiv. 



Tin- Hhea is ilarkish-gmy, takimra Mackish hue aliove, and ln-ing rather lighter ticlow. 

 The ]ilnmes of the wings are white, and a Hack kind runs round the neck, and pas-. - into a 

 semilunar jcitch on th>- hn-a-t Tin- n.-ck i- comjiletely feathered. The average height of the 

 Khea is alNint live fei't. 



Thn-e -]h-<-iesof Khea an-, however, all inhabitants of S<mth America, namely, the common 

 Rhea just deacriU-d, D.MIWIN'- Um \ i/////// ilnnriiiiit. and the J^\i:<,i uiiiiu UIIKA 

 (Khea maerorhyncha). 



TIIK well-known C \--o\\ \i;>. long thought to IN- the only example of the gi-nns, is found 

 in the Malaccas. 



This tine bird is notable for the gins- \ l>lack hair-like plnrnage. the helmet-like protuber- 

 ance upon the head, and the light azure, purple and -carlet of the npjx-r jiart of the neck. 

 The "helmet" is a truly remarkable api>aratus, IMMIH: compos*-.! of a honey-combed cellular 

 bony substance, made on a principle that much resembles the structure of theelepliant's skull, 

 mention. -.1 in the previous volume of this work treating of the Mammalia. It yields readily 

 to a sharp knife or a tin*- -a. and may IH- cut through by a steady hand without leaving 

 ragged edges. Tliis helmet is barely ]>-n-eptible in the young binl when newly hatched, and 

 increases in pro] K>rt inn with its growth, not reaching its full development until the bird ha- 

 uttained adult age. A similar phenomenon may be observed in the common (riiinea fowl. 

 The beak is hiirh in pn>]iortioii to its width, and i- therefore unlike the flattened and com- 

 IKirutirely weak bills of the < Ntrich. 



The plumage of the iMxlv i- \.-r\ hair like. lM-ing composed of long and almost naked 

 shafts, two -prin^im: from the same tuU-. and one always U-ijig longer than the other. At the 

 pMits of the shaft- there i- a -mall tuft of delicate down, sufficiently thick to supply a warm 

 and soft inn.-r garment, but yet so small as to IH- hidden by the long hair-like plumage Kx.-n 

 the tail is furni-hed with the same curioii- c\erinir. and th>- wings are clothed after a similar 

 maniiei. with the exception of five black, stiff, strong, pointed qnilK very like the large quills 

 of the porcupine, and In-ini: of different lenirths. the larip-M not exceeding one foot, and gen- 

 erally being much batten-*! aU>nt the jH.int. When stripjH-d of its feath.-r-. the whole wing 

 only extends some three inches in lenirth. and i- .-\ idently a mere indication of the limb. 



Tin* eye of the Cassowary is fierce and resolute, and it.s expression is carried oat by the 



