310 



OEDEES OF BIEDS— WINGLESS LAND-BIEDS 



is a bird which is so constantly overshadowed 

 by the larger and- more showy African ostrich 

 that it is not appreciated at its true zoological 

 value. In height it stands about 5 feet, its bulk 

 is only about one-half as great as that of the 

 African ostrich, and its plumage has much 

 less value. Nevertheless, the adult bird, in 

 fuU plumage, is a fine creature, of a beautiful 

 bluish-gray or drab color, and when it opens 

 its wings they seem surprisingly long. A fine, 

 male Rhea "showing off" its plumage is an 

 object which always commands admiration. 



This bird inhabits Patagonia, the Argentine 

 Republic, and the more remote plains of Uru- 

 guay and Paraguay. Frequently, half-grown 

 birds find their way into the wild-animal mar- 

 kets so easily that they sell at from $40 to $50 

 each. 



The Emeu^ stands half way, literally, be- 

 tween the ostrich and cassowary, being con- 

 siderably larger than the latter. Its neck and 

 head are ostrich-like, but in the shape of its 

 body it is more hke the cassowary. Like the 

 latter, its feathers seem like long, coarse hair, 

 of a gray-brown color. The lower outline of 

 an Emeu's body is almost a straight line, with 

 the legs in the centre, and the highest point of 

 the back curve comes directly above the inser- 

 tion of the legs. Thus the Emeu appears to 

 be, and is, a very well-balanced bird. Its home 

 is the upland plains of Australia, so far back 

 in the interior that it is now found only with 

 great difficulty. 



liike the cassowary, the Emeu is easily 

 kept in captivity, and is not expensive to buy. 

 In Woburn Park, England, owned by the Duke 

 of Bedford, troops of these birds staUt freely over 

 the vast green lawn; and surely no birds could 

 be more striking, or picturesque in such situa- 

 tions. Strange to say, a fully grown Emeu 

 can be bought in New York for $125. 



' Dro'mae-us no^ae-hol'land-ae. 



The Ceram Cassowary^ is a big, purplish- 

 black bird, with highly-colored patches of 

 naked skin on its upper neck, and an elevated 

 helmet or casque on the base of its upper 

 mandible. Its feathers look like coarse and 

 stiff hair from three to six inches in length, and 

 its legs and feet are very thick and heavy for 

 its stature. The height of a Cassowary is about 

 5 feet. 



Cassowaries are forest-loving birds. They 

 inhabit Australia, Ceram, and other islands 

 of the Malay Archipelago. Because they take 

 kindly to captivity, they are frequently seen 

 in zoological parks and gardens, and travelling 

 shows. 



The Apteryx, or Kiwi,' of New Zealand is 

 the lowest species in the scale of Uving birds. 

 It is absolutely without wings, and it lives 

 upon the ground in dark forests, where it can 

 hide. Unfortunately, it has no means of de- 

 fence, and is too small to escape from a dan- 

 gerous enemy by running away. It is about the 

 size of a Cochin-China hen, covered with long, 

 stringy, hair-like feathers of a dark-brown color, 

 and it has a long, curved beak like that of an 

 ibis, for probing in the earth. Undoubtedly, 

 the civilized development of New Zealand will 

 cause the total extinction of this very shy but 

 interesting species at no distant day. 



In captivity in a zoological garden it is as 

 shy and retiring as a beaver. In order to keep 

 it from fretting itself to death, it is necessary 

 to place in a corner of its cage a sheaf of 

 straw, or a bundle of leafy branches, behind 

 which it can retreat from observation, and lie 

 concealed. 



Outside of its New Zealand home, this bird is 

 rarely seen in captivity, which is to be regret- 

 ted, because it is one of the most interesting 

 forms of the whole avian world. 



2 Cas-u-a'riyus gaUe-a'ta. 

 ^ Ap'-te-ryx aus-tral'is. 



