Order 5. 



GRALL^. 



221 



Fis;. 113— Ft'Plof OsTich. 



and gizzard, voluiiiiin)us intestines, and long cceca, also a vast receptacle in which the urine acciimu 

 lates, as in a bladder ; they are accordingly the only birds that urinate. The penis is very long, and 

 often protruded. 



But two ppec-.es are known, pach of whicli might form a separate <renus, [and they are now generally recognized 

 as such, an additional species having been discovered of one of them] 



The Ostrich of the Eastern Continent (Sh: camelus, Lin.).— Only 

 tviro toes to each foot, the outer of which, shorter by one-half than the 

 other, is destitute of a nail. This bird, celebrated from the most 

 remote antiquity, an<i very numerous in the sandy deserts of Arabia 

 and the whole of Africa, attains the height of six feet and a half. It 

 lives in large flocks, lays eggs which weigh nearly three pounds each, 

 and which, in very hot climates, it leaves to be hatched by the solar 

 heat, but, in e.xtra-tropical regions, carefully incubates and de- 

 fends them with courage. It subsists on grain and herbage, and its 

 taste is so obtuse, that it swal ows indiflPerently pebbles, pieces of 

 iron, copper, &c. [its gizzard always containing a surprising quantity 

 of small stones, which are doubtless taken for the purpose of assist- 

 ing in the trituration of the food.] When pursued, it dashes stones 

 behind it with great force. No animal can overtake it in the chace. 



The Nandou (Str. rhea, Lin. [Rhea americana, Auctorum]), or 

 Ostrich of America, is about half the size of the African O.strich, and 

 more thinly covered with feathers : it is also distinguished by pos- 

 sessing three toes to each foot, all o/wlwch are furnished with claws. Its plumage is greyish, inclining to brown 

 above, with a black line descending along the neck of the male. Is not less abundant in South America than the 

 other is in Africa. It is easily tamed when taken young, and its flesh during youth is eaten. [The tarsi of this 

 bird are scutellated. 



A second South American species (Rh. Daru-inii, Gould; Rfi. peniiafa, D'Orbigny), is one fifth less in size, with 

 reticulated tarsi : it has also a more densely plumed wing, the feathers of which are broader, and are all terminated 

 by a band of white. The bill is shorter than the head, and the tarsi are plumed for several inches below the joint. 

 Inhabits Patagonia, where it is rare. Mr. Darwin obseiTed that the Nandous swim with facility]. 



The Cassowaries {Camarius, Brisson) — 

 Have wings still shorter than those of the Ostriches, and quite useless in aiding progression. 

 Their feet have three toes, all furnished with nails ; and the harbs of their feathers are so little fringed 

 with harbules, that at a distance they resemble pemlent hair. [The accessory phimc of the feathers 

 (which in the Ostrich and Nandou does not exist at all) attains its maximum of developement, so that 

 two equal stems appear to grow from the same quill, whik in the restricted Cassowary there is even a 

 third in addition.] 



Two species likewise occur of this genus, each of which might also be elevated to the rank of a genus, [now 

 g'enerally accepted]. 



The Galeated Cassowary {Sir. casuarius, Lin. ; [Casuarhis Emeu, Auctorum] ).— The beak laterally compressed, 

 and head surmounted with a bony prominence, invested with a horny substance ; the skin of the head and neck 

 of an azure blue and flame-colour, with pendent caruncles, analogous to those of the Turkey : wings furnished 

 with some rigid barbless stalks, which are employed as weapons in combat : the nail of the inner toe much 

 the strongest. It is the largest species of bird, next to the Ostrich, from which it difl'ers considerably in its 

 anatomy ; for it has short intestines an l 

 small cceca, wants the intermediate stomach 

 between the crop and gizzard, and its cloaca 

 does not proportionally exceed that of other 

 birds. It lives on fruit and eggs, but not 

 on grain ; and lays dark-green eggs, few in 

 number, which, like the Ostrich, it aban- 

 dons to the heat of the sun. It is found in 

 different islands of the Indian Archipelago. 



The P^meu of New Holland {Casuarius 

 Norte Hollandia, Latham, [Droma'ms Nova: 

 HoUandiie, Vieillot]). — A depressed beak, 

 ■with no casque on the head, nor naked 

 space except around the eye ; the plumage 

 brown, more dense, and the feathers more 

 barbed; no caruncles, nor spurs to the Fis;. lu.-stcrnum of Emeu. 



wing; and the nails of the toes nearly equal. Its flesh resembles beef: it is swifter than the fleetest Greyhound, 

 and the young are striped brown and white. [Either Uiis or more pri.bably an allied species has been extirpated 



