THE EMEU. 



197 



also to be extremely numerous in the adjacent islands, 

 especially in Kanguroo Island, where they were found 

 in the greatest abundance by both Flinders and Peron ; 

 and in King's Island, where the distinguished naturalist 

 last named and his companions were fortunately enabled 

 by the kindness of some English seal-hunters to subsist, 

 chiefly upon Emeu's flesh, for several days while tem- 

 porarily deserted by their captain. According to the 

 late accounts from Swan River they have also been 

 observed on that part of the west coast on which the 

 new settlement is situated. 



The Emeu was first described and figured, under the 

 name of the New Holland Cassowary, in Governoi 

 Phillip's Voyage to Botany Bay, published in 1789. 

 To this work Dr. Latham contributed very considerably 

 in the ornithological department, and it is therefore 

 probable that the description of this remarkable bird 

 was furnished by him. The figure, taken from a draw- 

 ing made on the spot by Lieutenant Watts, is extremely 

 defective. In the ensuing year a second figure, taken 

 from the same specimen as the former, but very different 

 in appearance and equally inaccurate, was given in 

 White's Voyage to New South Wales, the zoological 

 part of which work appears to have been superintended 

 by Dr. Shaw, whose Miscellany likewise contains a 

 copy of the same figure. A much better representation, 

 although somewhat too highly coloured, occurs in the 

 Atlas to Peron's Voyage aux Terres Australes. We 

 have searched in vain amono; the celebrated enoravino-s 

 from Marechal's drawings, constituting the Menagerie 

 du Museum, for the " superior figure" which M. Lesson 

 assures us, in his Manuel d'Ornithologie, is there to be 

 found. Indeed we know not by what means it could 

 have gained a place in that collection, for no living 

 specimen had then, or for several years afterwards, 

 been seen in France. 



