The Ostrich and its Kindred 



393 



course, but always turning and 

 twisting, which made it difficult for 

 us to keep them in sight. . We 

 went sailing on, neck and neck, 

 regardless of holes or anything else, 

 only thinking of the grandly 

 pluniaged birds in front of us, our 

 horses straining every nerve to over- 

 take them, as only old stagers know 

 how to run when in pursuit of game. 

 We had now approached within fifty 

 yards, and, jumping down, we fired 

 at two cock birds running separately 

 from the troop, bringing them both 

 down. Hastily mounting, we con- 

 tinued on after the retreating 

 troop ; but at this juncture my 

 friend's horse trod in a hole, sendino- 

 his rider over his head, thereby 

 completely putting him out of the 

 run. I now continued the chase by 

 myself For a mile the ostriches 

 gained on me, as they continued to 

 run in a straight line, thereby not 

 enabling me to cut off any point, 

 but obliging me to keep in their 

 rear all the time. ... I got off 

 twice, and fired several fruitless 

 shots, and then continued the chase 

 for certainly two miles without dis- 

 mounting once. ... I now got 

 within a hundred yards, and jumped 

 down. . . . The first shot I fired brought down a fine cock bird, but the second struck the 

 ground over the others, turning them to the right along a low ridge. They appeared 

 very much exhavisted, and ran with their wings spread out. . . I saw that they were coming 

 direct for me, and waited until they were close. . . When the ostriches approached within 

 fifteen yards, I selected the best-looking bird, and put a bullet through him. He ran on for 

 about twenty yards and fell dead." 



Cassowaries and Emeus. 



With the Cassowaries and Emeus we have come as near as we can get at the present day 

 to the representatives of the ancient type from which the Ostrich Tribe have sprung. But 

 both these forms are to be regarded as having passed the prime of their development, for, 

 like their allies which we have already considered, they have lost the power of flight. Both 

 emeu and cassowary jiossess, when adult, one character shared by no other living adult bird ; 

 they have what may be called double feathers, each feather possessing two shafts of equal 

 length. They appear to follow a custom of their own in the matter of the coloration of their 

 eo-<ys, since these are never white, like those of the rhea or ostrich, but green, with a very rough 

 surface. The young, like those of the rhea, are striped with alternate black and white stripes. 

 The emeu is found only on the continent of Australia ; the cassowary occurs both in Australia 

 and on the neighbouring islands of New Guinea, Ceram, and Aru. 



The lot of the Cassowary appears to have been cast in pleasant places, making it possible 



50 



1 / a 



SCLATERS CASSOWARY. 



[A ;i, 



Tliis bird is Dot yet full grown, the horny casque on the top of the head being much larger 



in the adult. 



