Book II. O ^J^lT HO LP §T. 151 



which are longer and more beautiful on the Back. The body with the feathers ap- 

 pears almod round. They have not fuch a Tail made up of creded feathers, as is re- 

 prefented commonly in the Piftures of Oftrirhes 5 but the feathers are dretched forth 

 along the Back even to the vent. It fwallows bits of Iron, Brafs-mony, Dice, or any 

 the like things you offer it, but concocts them not, cading them out again by (lege. 

 It feeds on fruits and fleih. It is frequent in the fields of the * Capiiania of Serigippo, *■ Captain- 

 and the Capitania of Rio grande. In Fernambuco it is not found. Its fleih is good ffl1 ^" 

 to eat. 



§. III. 



The Cajfowary or Emeu of Aldrovandus, Clufius, Nierembergiusj Bontius and Wormius 



WE have feen four birds of this kind at London § three Males, and one Female i 

 viz. one Male among his Ma jetties birds kept in St. James's Park near Weft- 

 mincer 3 two Males and a Female at Mr. Maydjionr, an Eajl-India Merchant in Newgate- 

 Market, brought out of the Eaji Indies. It hath a horny Crown on the top of the 

 Head. The Head and Neck are bare of feathers, only thin-fet with a hairy down. 

 The skin is of a purplifh blue colour, excepting the lower part of the backfide of the 

 Neck, which is red, [or of a Vermilion colour.] In the lower part of the Neck 

 hand down two Wattles or Lobes of fleih as low as the Bread. It hath a very wide 

 mouth. The Bill is near four inches long, of a moderate thickne(s,and (freight. The 

 Legs are thick, and ftrong. It hath three Toes in each foot, all (landing forward, for 

 it wants the back-toe. The Claw of the outmod Toe is much longer than the reft. 

 It hath fome rudiments of Wings rather than Wings, confiding of only five naked 

 fhafts of feathers, fomewhat like Porcupines quils 5 having either no Webs and fea- 

 thery parts, or which were in the Bird We described broken and worn off. It hath 

 no Tail 5 a great body invefted with blackifh or dusky feathers, of a rare texture, 

 which to one that beholds the Bird at a didance feem rather to be hairs than feathers. 

 It is a gentle-natured bird, and eafily made tame. We (hall give the Reader a more 

 full and accurate defcription of all its parts out of Clufius his Exotics. This Bird 

 (faith he) as it walked, holding up its head, exceeded the height of four foot by 

 fome inches : For the Neck from the top of the Head to the beginning of the Back 

 Was almod thirteen inches long 5 the body two foot over, the Thighs with the Legs 

 to the bending of the Feet feventeen inches long. The length of the body it Mf 

 from the Bread to the Rump wasalmod three foot. The feathers covering the whole 

 body, with thofe on the lower part of the Neck next to the Bread and Belly, and 

 the Thighs were all double, two coming out of the fame (mall mort pipe or hofe, and 

 lying the one upon the other , the upper being fomewhat the thicker or grofler, the 

 nether the more fine and delicate : They are al(o of a different length, as I obierved 

 in the cafe of the like Bird. For thofe on the lower part of the Neck were (horter $ 

 thofe on the middle of the body and fides longer ( viz. of fix or feven inches : ) But 

 thofe on the extreme or hind-part of the body about the Rump ( for it wanted the 

 Tail ) nine inches long, and harder than the red. Although they are all hard or diffj 

 yet are they not broad but narrow, with thin-fet filaments oppofite one to another 

 on each fide 5 of a black colour, but about the Thighs tending to cinereous^ the (haft 

 only remaining' black, as in the red. Thefe feathers had that form and fituation, that 

 to thofe that behold the Bird afar off, its skin might well be thought to be covered 

 not with feathers, but only with hairs, feeming like to a Bears^ and to want Wings 5 

 though indeed it had Wings, lying hid under the feathers covering the fides, furniftied 

 with * four greater feathers of a black colour, as I obferved in the cafe, though they * Wc obfer- 

 werefo broken at the tops, that I could determine nothing certainly concerning their v £ d five niafcs 

 length. But their broken (hafts were pretty thick, hard and folid, and ran deep «ch C wi^. M 

 down into the outmod part of the Wing. The upper part of the Wing next the bo- 

 dy had its covert feathers like thofe on the Bread. For it is to be thought, that this 

 kind of Wings are given to this Bird to affid her and promote her (peed in running : For 

 I believe (he cannot fly, nor raife herfelf from the earth : [ He might have been more 

 pofitive in this, for it is mod certain. ~\ The Legs in compafs exceeded five inches, 

 and were covered with many as it were barks or broad fcales, efpecially above the 

 bending of the foot. It had thick, hard Feet, divided into three thick Toes, on the 

 upper part covered with fcales, underneath altogether callous: The middle (which 

 was longer than the red) confided of three joynts, the interiour of one, the exteriour ; 



of 



