No. 433-J 



CERTAIN GROUPS OF BIRDS. 



39 



The Casuariornithes include three well-marked families, — the 

 Dromaiidae, the Casuariidas, and the Dromornithidae. The Drom- 

 aiidae contain the emeus, the ostrich birds of Australia, of which 

 there are two species, Dromceus novce-hollandice, and D. irroratns. 



The second family of the Casuariornithes or the Casuariidae 

 includes the cassowaries, other ostrich birds of the Australian 

 region, of which there are at least nine existing species of the 

 genus Casuarius. The cassowary of the island of Ceram is one 

 of the best known. It is the helmeted cassowary of science 

 (C. galeatus). The third family, Dromornithidae, is represented 

 by the extinct Australian genus Dromornis (Cat. Foss. Birds 

 Br. Mus. p. 355). The fourth suborder of the present super- 

 suborder, or the Dinornithes, has been created to contain 

 the family Dinornithidae, a group susceptible of being divided 

 into at least three subfamilies, and a number of genera (see 

 Trans. Zodl. Soc, London, Vol. XIII, Part XI, October, 1895, 

 p. 417). All these ostrich forms now appear to be extinct, 

 although this extinction has taken place only within compara- 

 tively recent time. They were the moas of the islands of New 

 Zealand, and were exterminated through the agency of the 

 inhabitants of the islands. The fifth suborder of this group is 

 represented by some five species of extinct ostrich forms of 

 the island of Madagascar, all referred to the genus ^pyornis. 

 This suborder has therefore been termed the ^Epyornithes, and 

 it has but the one family, ^pyornithidae. 



In Alfred Newton's A Dictionary of Birds under the 

 article » Roc" will be found an excellent article giving the history 

 of the discovery of these ancient ostriches, and excellent refer- 

 ences to the literature of the subject. In the same work are 

 found many other useful descriptions, the key to each of them 

 occurring under the title « Ratitae." Professor Newton there 

 says : « According to the views adopted in this volume the sub- 

 class Ratitae comprehends of existing forms the orders Apteryges 

 (kiwi), Megistanes (cassowary, emeu), Rheae (rhea), and 

 Struthiones (ostrich), together with the extinct ^Epyornithes 

 (roc) and Immanes (moa). As regards the relation of other 

 older forms to the Ratitae [as Odontornithes and Stereornithes] 

 it seems best at present to use reserve." 



