THE CASSOWARIES. 



"Two important features serve at once 

 to distinguish the Cassowaries and their 

 near alHes, the emeus, from the ostriches 

 and the rheas ; the first of these being 

 that the feathers have airshafts of such 

 large size as to make them practically 

 double, while the second peculiarity is to 

 be found in the eggs, which, instead of 

 being light-colored and smooth, are dark 

 green in color and granulated in tex- 

 ture." 



Like the ostrich, the Cassowaries be- 

 long to a group of flightless birds, their 

 wings being so rudimentary as to be 

 practically invisible externally. The vis- 

 ible portion of the wings consists of 

 about five black quills which have no 

 barbs and resemble coarse bristles. Their 

 heads are devoid of feathers and on the 

 crown there is a prominence which is 

 simply an extension of the bones of the 

 skull. The feathers of the body have a 

 loose and coarse appearance and are dark 

 colored and glossy. The feathers do not 

 appear at all like those of the plumage 

 of flying birds, and seem more like hairs. 

 The Cassowaries possess three toes on 

 each foot, the inner ones having a very 

 long claw. 



There are about nine species of the 

 Cassowaries, all being classed by ornith- 

 ologists in the genus Casuarius. Of 

 these probably the most familiar is the 

 helmeted species of our illustration 

 {Casuarius galeatus), which is a native 

 of the island of Ceram. The other spe- 

 cies inhabit either Australia, New 

 Guinea or some of the neighboring 

 islands. The Australian species is the 

 largest of them all and when it stands 

 erect is more than five feet in height. The 

 skin of the head and the upper part of 



the neck of the helmeted Cassowary is 

 of a dull blue or purple color with a red- 

 dish tint. The wattles are pendant and 

 similar to those of the turkey. 



The Cassowaries inhabit thick forests, 

 and are so shy and wary that they are 

 seldom seen in their native haunts. They 

 are easily tamed, and in captivity they 

 are very docile. It is said, however, that 

 in a wild state they do not hesitate to 

 defend themselves and kick with great 

 force and effect. They are inclined to 

 feed in flocks. Observers say that the 

 Australian species, which seems to in- 

 habit only the rocky wooded districts, is 

 usually seen in flocks of eight or ten 

 individuals. It is said that one species, 

 known as Bennett's Cassowary, or 

 Muruk, by the natives, is captured by the 

 inhabitants of the islands "when very 

 young, soon after they are hatched, and 

 reared by hand." They rarely capture 

 the adult, however, because it is very shy 

 and difficult of approach. Richard Ly- 

 deker tells us that "unlike the emeu, 

 which kicks outward and backward. Cas- 

 sowaries invariably kick forward, at the 

 same time elongating their bodies ; in 

 captivity they will not infrequently per- 

 form a kind of war dance around any 

 object that attracts their attention, ac- 

 companied by vigorous kickings and 

 many bendings of the neck. In spite of 

 their speed, and the rapidity with which 

 they move their limbs, Cassowaries do 

 not run after the manner of the ostrich, 

 but may be rather said to trot." Their 

 food is without doubt of a vegetable 

 nature, though some authorities claim 

 that they also feed upon the eggs of other 

 birds. 



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