284 BIRDS. CURSORES. 



back obscurely gray. About 6 feet in height. Inhabits S.America. 

 Shaw, xi. pi. 28. 



This bird is somewhat less than the ostrich, being about six feet in height, of which 

 the neck is two feet eight inches. The wings stretch from tip to tip no less than 

 eight feet ; but, on account of the webs being disunited, they are useless in flight, 

 hanging over, and hiding the tail, which is composed of short feathers of equal 

 length. 



Gen. 3. DROMICEUS, Vieill. Casuarius, Lath. 



Bill straight, the edges greatly depressed, tip rounded ; head 

 feathered ; throat naked ; feet three-toed, the toes placed be- 

 fore ; wings very short. 



D. Novas Hollandice. The Emu. Body hairy, colour brown and 

 gray mixed, paler on the under parts ; head and neck feathered ; 

 tibiae serrated behind ; wing quills feathered. Nearly seven feet 

 long. Inhabits New Holland Shaw, xiv. pi. 39. 



Gen. 4. CASUARIUS, Briss. Strnthio, Lin. 



Bill straight, short ; compressed, rounded towards the point; ridge 

 keeled, and a bony rounded protuberance at the base ; inferior 

 mandible soft, flexible, and angular near the extremity; nostrils 

 round, in the lateral part of the point of the bill ; legs muscu- 

 lar, with three toes placed forwards, the inner short, and 

 armed with a very long and strong claw ; tibiae almost en- 

 tirely covered with feathers ; wings not adapted for flight. 



E. galealus, Steph. Galeated Cassowary. Body black, crowngaleated ; 

 body hairy ; head and part of the neck naked and bluish ; crest or 

 horny protuberance on the head reaching from the base of the 

 bill to the middle of the crown ; a pendant caruncle on each side 

 of the neck. 5 feet long. Inhabits India. Shan> 3 xi. pi. 29. 



Gen. 5. OTIS, Lin. 



Bill straight, conical, compressed ; tip of the upper mandible 

 slightly arched ; nostrils open, oval, approximated, but remote 

 at the base ; legs long, naked above the knee ; three toes 

 before, short, united at their base and bordered by a mem- 

 brane ; wings of medium length, third quill-feather longest. 



These are heavy birds, which fly little, and are extremely shy. When fatigued 

 in the course, or on the point of being captured, they graze along the ground with 

 a rapid and well sustained flight. They inhabit corn-fields or bushy plains, and 

 feed on herbs, grains, seeds, and insects. One male is attended by several females. 



* Mandibles compressed at the base. 



O. tarda, Lin. The Great Bustard. Head, neck, breast, and margin 

 of the wings bluish-gray ; a black streak along the crown of the 

 head ; upper parts of the body reddish yellow, striped with black ; 

 under parts white ; tail white at its base, brownish orange in the 

 middle, and crossed by two black bars ; a tuft of long wiry-fea- 

 thers, with the webs disunited, at the base of the under man- 

 dible. 3 feet 3 inches long. Europe. B. Selby, Illust. pi. 64. 



