CASSOWARY. 383 



about twelve, and is more thin, and brittle than that of the Ostrich.* 

 The food is of the vegetable kind, as it will eat bread, apples, and 

 such like, when in confinement ; all which it swallows whole, not 

 bruising it with the bill ; and will indiscriminately gorge stones, 

 iron, and any thing offered to it, like the Ostrich.f 



2— NEW-HOLLAND CASSOWARY. 



Casuarius Novse Hollandiee, Ind. Orn. ii. 665. 

 Emu of New South Wales, Collin. N. S. Wales, ii. pi. p. 307. 

 Southern Cassowary, Nat. Misc. pi. 99. 



New-Holland Cassowary, Gen. Syn. Sup. ii. 290. Phill. Bot. Bay, pi. p. 271. White, 

 Journ. pi. p. 129. 



THIS is a large bird, being more than seven feet in length. The 

 bill is black; the plumage for the most part mixed brown and grey, 

 paler beneath ; the head differs much from the former species, being 

 covered with feathers; nor has it any helmet, or rising protuberance, 

 as in that bird ; the feathers, however, about the head and neck are 

 of a hairy texture, and the fore part of the chin and throat so nearly 

 destitute of any, that the purple colour of the skin may be seen 

 through them ; the long spines, observable in the wings of the 

 Common Sort, are here wanting, but instead of them are real wings, 

 though of so small a size as to be useless for flight ; they are covered 

 with feathers like the rest of the body, and when the bird is quite 

 at rest, are scarcely discernible ; the legs are dusky, and stout, in 

 colour not unlike those in the other species, but are greatly serrated, 

 and indented at the back part ; the three toes placed all forwards, in 

 the same manner. We are told that it differs from the Old Species 



* Some eggs are white. In the catalogue of Swammerdam's Museum, we find both 

 White and Green Cassowary's eggs mentioned; in number, four of the former, aud five of 

 the latter ; with a sixth, which was ornamented with engravings. — Swam. Mus. p. 25. 



f A bird of a brown colour, which at a distance appeared like a Cassowary, met with 

 about three miles from Dhalac-el-Kibeer, Jan. 9; but being shot at, escaped without 

 further knowledge being obtained ; the natives said it was good to eat. — Valent. Tr. ii. 226. 



