5 [Vol. xxix. 



names for the male and female birds and, judging from the 

 quantities of feathers in their possession^ must often succeed 

 in capturing them. Eggs and newly hatched chicks were 

 brought in during January and February, On one occasion 

 at Parimau some Cassowary^s eggs naust have been kept by 

 the natives for a few days before they hatched, for young 

 ones were brought to us which had evidently just emerged 

 from the shells. Cassowaries were seen at various times by 

 different members of the expedition searching for food in 

 the pools and shallow waters of the river-beds, and during 

 the cross-country marches they sometimes dashed across 

 our trail, but afforded scarcely a momentary glimpse. In 

 July at Parimau one was often heard calling during the 

 night quite close to our camp, and, judging by the very 

 large tracks it left in the soft mud, I should say that it was 

 a female. A couple of hours after daybreak on one of the 

 following mornings a male bird was observed on the bank 

 of the river opposite our camp, and within a dozen yards of 

 the village, trying to cross the swollen waters to our side. 

 One of the soldiers fired at it, but with no result. The 

 next morning at the same hour the bird appeared again at 

 the same spot. This time a Gurkha succeeded in wounding 

 it, and after crossing the river and following it up in the 

 jungle, he at length secured it. 



" Near the base-camp Ooura sclateri was fairly common, 

 and was met with from thence onwards wherever we went. 

 In spite of the numbers we shot for food during the whole 

 of the time the expedition remained in the country, the 

 supply did not appear to diminish. This Pigeon and a few 

 others afforded the only fresh meat we obtained. On the 

 canoe-journeys up the river they were frequently to be met 

 with in the early mornings in twos and threes searching for 

 aquatic life along the muddy banks. When first disturbed 

 by our approach they did not immediately take flight, but 

 with wings raised pirouetted around for a few seconds 

 and then flew to the nearest high tree. I often found the 

 remains of small crabs in their stomachs, and a large 



