ORDER GRALL^. 297 



as to its feathers ; of a uniform grey ; is distin- 

 guished especially by its three toes, all furnished 

 with claws ; the plumage is greyish, browner on the 

 back ; a blackish line passes over the nape of the 

 male. They are not less abundant in the southern 

 parts of South America, than the ostrich in Africa. 

 Their feathers are used only for brooms, When 

 taken young, they may be tamed easily. It is said, 

 that several females lay in the same nest, or rather in 

 the same hole ; the eggs are yellowish, and are sat 

 on by the male. These birds are eaten, but only 

 when young. 



The Cassowary. Casuarius, Briss. 



Have the wings still shorter than the ostrich's, and 

 utterly useless in running. Their feet have three 

 toes, all furnished with nails ; the barbs of their 

 feathers are so little supplied with beardlets, that at 

 a distance they look like hair, or a pendant mane. 



Of these also two species are known, which may 

 in like manner be divided into separate genera. 



The Galeated Cassowary, Lath. H. 137, Struthio 

 Casuarius, Lin. Enl. 313 ; and better, Frisch. 105. 

 Marechal has also given a very good figure of this 

 species in the Menagerie du Mus., and M. Vieillot 

 has copied it in his Gal. pi. 225. 



The bill is compressed laterally ; and the head is 

 surmounted with a bony prominence, covered with a 



