Bums. 30 



Their maiiiteiiauco could not be expensive, if, as Narboiougli 

 si.ys, they live entirely upon grass. 



CHAP. VI. 



THE CASSOWARY.' 



The Cassowary is a bird which was first brought into Europe 

 by the Dutch, from Java, in the East Indies, in which part of 

 the world it is only to be found. Next to the preceding, it is 

 the largest and the heaviest of the feathered species. 



The cassowary, though not so large as the lormer, yet appears 

 more bulky to the eye ; its body being nearly equal, and its neck 

 and legs much thicker and stronger in proportion ; this confor- 

 mation gives it an air of strength and force, which the fierceness 

 and singularity of its countenance conspire to render fomidable. 

 It is five feet and a half long, from the point of the bill to the 

 extremity of the claws. The legs are two feet and a half high, 

 from the belly to the end of the claws. The head and neck to- 

 gether are a foot and a half; and the largest toe, including the 

 claw, is five inches long. The claw alone of the least toe, is 

 three inches and a half in length. The wing is so small, that it 

 does not appear ; it being hid under the feathers of the back. In 

 other birds, a part of the feathers serve for flight, and are differ- 

 ent from those that serve for merely covering ; but in the cas- 

 sowary, all the feathers are of the same kind, and outwardly of 

 the same colour. They are generally double ; having two long 

 shafts, which grow out of a short one, which is fixed in the skin. 

 Those that are double, are always of an unequal length ; for some 

 are fourteen inches long, particularly on the rump j while others 

 are not above three. The beards that adorn the stem or shaft, 

 are, from about half way to the end, very long, and as thick as a 

 horse hair, without being subdivided into fibres. The stem or 

 shaft is flat, shining, black, and knotted below ; and from each 

 knot there proceeds a beard : likewise the beards at the end of 

 the large feathers are perfectly black ; and towards the root of a 

 gray tawny colour ; shorter, more soft, and throwing out fine 

 * This is alio lallod the Emu. 



