CASSOWARY. ii 



beginning at the bafe of the bill, and reaching to the middle of 

 the crown ; this is three inches high, and one inch broad at the 

 bafe, but gradually grows thinner, fo as the upper part is not 

 more than a quarter of an inch thick ; this is yellowifh at the 

 back, but blackifh on the fore part : the fides of the head are 

 naked, being, as well as the neck, covered only with a wrinkled 

 reddifh fkin, thinly befet with hairs, and tinged with a caft of 

 both blue and purple : on the lower part on each fide, forwards, 

 are placed two flefhy membranes, one inch and a half long, and 

 three quarters broad, part red part blue, and take rife about the 

 middle of the neck, where they are very flender : on the breaft is 

 a callous bare part, on which the bird refts its body when on the 

 ground : the body in general is covered with brownifh black 

 loofe-webbed feathers, two of which arife from one ftiaft for the 

 moft part ; on the rump thefe feathers are fourteen inches long 

 at leaft, and hang downwards, in place of a tail, for the bird is 

 deftitute of one : the wing, or what is in the place of it, is not 

 furnifhed with feathers, having only five bare fhafts like the 

 quills of a. Porcupine, the longeft ten or eleven inches, and of a 

 dufky colour; at the end of the laft joint a kind of claw : the 

 legs have all the three toes placed forwards, and each furnifhed 

 with a claw, which is almoft ftraight, and pointed, the inner one 

 the longeft : the colour of the legs and toes greyifh brown : 

 claws black. 



This fpecies inhabits the eaftern parts of Afia, towards the Place and 



Jouth, being found in the Molucca iflands, thofe of Banda, Java, 



Sumatra, and parts correfponding, but no where in plenty, nor 



ever met with beyond the limits of the torrid zone. It cannot 



fly, but runs very faft. The egg is fmaller and longer than 



Vol. III. C 2 that. 



Manners. 



