CASSOWARY. 7 



Adult. This species, which is distinguished by its very high casque (thinner 

 above), long nail of inner toe, and the very large wattles on the fore-neck, is black 

 both above and below with dark brown bases to the feathers the feathers being 

 much elongated, narrow, and disintegrated with black shining shafts which are 

 destitute of webs towards the ends. The wings are rudimentary and furnished with 

 porcupine-like black quills without any webs whatever ; head and neck all round, 

 including the two wattles on the lower fore-neck, bare. For colour of soft parts 

 see below. Total length about 60 inches from top of casque to tips of feathers at 

 the end of the body ; bill from gape 139 mm., culmen from base of casque 65, 

 tarsus 317, middle toe and claw 159. 



Young (quarter grown). Head and hind -neck chestnut rufous. Chin, throat 

 and fore-neck densely covered with short downy feathers of a brownish-buff colour. 

 Rest of body clayey brownish -yellow mixed with dark rufous. 



Young (two-thirds grown). Plumage brown. Head and occiput, dull pale 

 blue ; lower hind-neck, orange ; fore-neck leaden-blue ; lower naked sides of neck 

 blue, mixed with livid purple. 



Chick. Head and hind-neck pale rufous ; fore-neck yellowish -buff ; rest of 

 body yellowish -buff. From base of neck to end of tail along the back run three 

 broad longitudinal black bands, variegated with rufous, and each about seven-eighths 

 of an inch wide. On the sides are three irregular wavy black bands extending from 

 the shoulder-girdle down the sides to the beginning of the metatarsus. 



Nest. A bed of sticks, leaves, and such-like vegetable debris, usually placed 

 near the base of a large tree in dense scrub. 



Eggs. Clutch, four to six ; some authorities state three to five ; of a graceful 

 elliptical form, and superficially like shagreen or rough American cloth, but not so 

 rough or granulated as the Emu's (Dromiceius) egg. General appearance in colour, 

 beautiful light pea-green, but if examined vertically the raised rough particles only 

 of the shell will be found to be green, while the minute interstices are greenish -white. 

 Dimensions 138-141 mm. by 92-97. 



Breeding-season. July to September. 



Incubation-period. About eight weeks. 



Distribution and forms. From Ceram through New Guinea into northern 

 Queensland. Many forms have been separated, chiefly by means of coloration of 

 head and neck, and as there are no definite conclusions yet possible We will simply 

 note those of the two suggested forms living in Australia. In the form named 

 C. c. hamiltoni Mathews the front and sides of the neck as well as the whole of the 

 sides of the head and nape, pale blue ; the whole of the back of the neck pale orange- 

 yellow ; the lobe extending down the lower neck deep purple ; appendages bright 

 lake ; between gape and ear a triangular spot of lake connected with the appendages 

 by a raised rib of skin of the same colour. In descriptions of C. c. johnsonii Mueller 

 we read coloration of fore-neck bright purplish-blue, and of nape pale greenish -blue, 

 and of the lobe half deep orange and half purple, and a preoral patch is unmentioned. 



SUBCLASS IMPENNES. 



The limits of the subclass are coincident with those of the order and suborder, 

 and the extraordinary superficial characters are common to all members. The 

 erect stature, the degraded miniature wings, short flat feet are all distinctive. The 

 wings have no specialised flight feathers but are covered with small scale-like 

 feathers, and are used for swimming only. They are all seabirds living in the 

 Antarctic and Sub-antarctic Regions, the largest breeding among perpetual ice, and 

 always gregariously. 



We have separated two families, the Spheniscidce or Thick-billed Penguins and 

 the Aptenodytidce or Thin-billed Penguins, but recent investigation has suggested 



