1^8 White, Notes on the Cassowary. \ ^"l" 



Food this month consisted of the blue quondong {Elceocarpus grandis, 

 F. V. M.), scrub-apple (? Pygeum turnerianum, Bailey), and have seen 

 these birds eating the black cherry (Endiandra, sp.), wild banana 

 (Musa, sp.), and wild Brazilian cherry (Acronychia vestita, F. v. M.) 



Kairi, near Atherton, November, 191 1. — The largest brood of 

 young Cassowaries I saw here consisted of four birds. They were 

 feeding on the species of fig {Ficus) with which Mr. S. W. Jackson 

 and I fed the young of the Tooth-billed Bower-Bird {Scenopceetes 

 dentirosiris , Ramsay) at " Cherra-chelbo " camp, in the scrub near 

 here, in 1908. The Cassowaries are fond of these figs. The scrub 

 here has been cleared to a large extent. 



December. — -The food of the Cassowary now is a species of large 

 scrub fig (Ficus, sp.), the fruit measuring i inch by ^ inch ; also the 

 fruit of Castanospora alphandi, F. v. M. 



January, 191 2.-^ Young Cassowaries are still with the mother. The 

 birds are feeding on a species of fig {Ficus) and the fruit of Castano- 

 spora alphandi, F. v. M. (the leaves of this tree the Tooth-billed 

 Bower-Birds frequently use in their singing or play-grounds, as well 

 as the leaves of other species) ; the fruit of a species of Eugenia, 

 known as the white apple ; and the fruit of the black pine (Podocarpus, 

 sp.), &c. 



February. — Some young Cassowaries are out alone, and their food 

 appears to consist almost entirely of figs of different kinds. The fruit 

 of Castanospora alphandi, F. v. M., the fruit of the black pine 

 {Podocarpus, sp.), and the white apples of a species of Eugenia are also 

 being eaten. 



March. — As far as I can see at present, the Cassowaries are having 

 a lean time as regards both species of scrub fruit. On 26th February 

 I observed a splendid male bird feeding on the fruit of the large 

 lawyer- vine (Calamus moti, Bailey), and later on found droppings of 

 both mature and young birds, consisting of the stones of the fruit 

 of both the large and small species of lawyer- vine. The lawyer- 

 vines are erratic in fruiting. I never saw them eaten by Cassowaries 

 before, and can only conclude that hunger has made the birds eat 

 them. 



Clump Point, 2^th June. — The continuous rain, combined with a 

 poor wild-fruit season resulting from last year's very dry spell, has 

 caused a large number of Cassowaries to go elsewhere to look for 

 food and to nest. I saw a female with one young, 2 feet in height, 

 feeding on quondongs, and another, with two young birds, in another 

 spot farther away. Fruit seasons in the scrubs alter with the 

 climatic conditions every year. 



Kite as an Egg-Robber. — Last month a fine male specimen of 

 Lophoictinia isura (Square-tailed Kite) was brought to me, having 

 been shot while attacking chickens at a neighbouring farm. In 

 its gizzard I found a perfect egg of Cucidus inornatus (Pallid 

 Cuckoo). This egg was completely coated with fragments of 

 other broken egg-shells, which apparently were those of Anthus 

 australis (Ground-Lark). I cannot find any record in my orni- 

 thological works of this Kite feeding on eggs. — ^Tom Carter. 

 Broome Hill (W.A.), 12/11/12. 



