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18G7.] LETTER FROM DR. MUELLER. '^41 



In relation to the same subject, Mr. P. L. Sclater read the follow- 

 ing extract from a letter received by biin from Capt. John M. Dow, 

 F.Z.S., dated New York, January l/th, 18G7: — 



"The new Tapir from the Isthmus of Panama (Tapirus bairdi) 

 appears to be the only species inhabiting that region of country. 

 Not having seen an example of T. americanus I am unable to say 

 whether it is, or is not, distinct in external appearance from 7'. 

 bairdi. The young specimens of the latter I have seen were all 

 marked on the back with light spots, and were covered with reddish- 

 brown hair, which becomes darker, coarser, and uniform in colour 

 in adult specimens, 



" Thus far all examples of T. bairdi have exclusively been found 

 on the Atlantic side of the isthmus, and north of the Chagres River. 

 Their favourite haunts appear to be in the hills lying at the back 

 of Sion Hill and the adjoining stations of the Panama Railway. It 

 is only during the rainy season that they seem to seek the lowlands, 

 for it is only in that season they are captured. They are not hunted 

 by the natives ; and it is only when they occasionally stray out into 

 the open space of the railway that the young are sometimes captured 

 alive, and the old ones shot." 



The Secretary read the following extracts from a letter, addressed 

 by Dr. F. Mueller, of Melbourne, C.M.Z.S., to the 'Australasian,' 

 on the 1 5th of December last, giving further particulars as to the 

 Cassowary of x\ustralia : — 



" For the intelligence of the existence of an Australian true Casso- 

 wary, and for the means of defining preliminarily its specific charac- 

 ters, I am indebted to G. Randall Johnson, Esq., who in September 

 last, while on a visit to Rockingham Bay, shot in the Gowrie Creek 

 scrub the only specimen of this remarkable bird as yet obtained, and 

 whose name I wish it should bear ; and I cannot do better than to 

 give in the first instance publicity to the lucid remarks transmitted 

 to me by that gentleman : — 



" ' The Cassowaries for some time past have been known to exist 

 in the country about Rockingham Bay, but from their extreme shy- 

 ness and caution have up to this time managed to escape every 

 attempt to catch or kill them. 



"'The specimen shot is a male bird, and closely resembles the 

 Ilelmeted Cassowary, but is of smaller size, its greatest height when 

 standing in a natural position being not more than Ah feet. The 

 head and neck are almost entirely bare of feathers, and the skin of 

 different shades of blue and red. On the top of the head is a horny 

 substance of dirty light-brown colour ; the beak is black, the irides 

 of rich light brown ; the skin from the beak along the top of the 

 head, and extending 5 inches down the back of the neck, marine- 

 blue ; below this, still following the back of the neck down to the 

 point at which the feathers become thick, a length of 5 inches, the 

 skin is of a cinnabar-red tint, the underside of the head and tiiroat, 

 from the beak downward, being of ultramarine, and the small trian- 



pROC. ZooL. Soc— 1867, No. XVI. 



