THE OSTKICH— THE EMU— THE CASSOWARY. 



667 



ostrich, and, wearing the most mild and benignant cast of face, swallowed them all, 

 one after the other, like so many oysters, regarding the indignant hissings and bristling 

 plumage of the hapless mother with stoical indifference." Baron Aucapitaine relates 

 that he every evening used to regale a tame ostrich with a newspaper, which the bird 

 completely swallowed, thus literally stuffing itself with all the knowledge of the day. 



The costly white plumes of the ostrich, which are chiefly obtained from the wings, 

 form a considerable article of commerce, having been prized in all ages for the ele- 

 gance of their long, waving, loose, and flexible barbs. The thinner the quill and the 

 longer and more wavy the plume, the more it is prized. From seventy to ninety 

 feathers go to the pound ; but a single bird seldom furnishes more than a dozen, as 

 many of them are spoilt by trailing or some other accident. 



In the Tell, or the cultivated coast districts of Algeria, the ostrich is often domesti- 

 cated, particularly on account of its eggs, which weigh three pounds, and are equiva- 

 lent to twenty-four of the common fowl's eggs. It might be supposed that one of 

 these giant eggs would be too much for the most vigorous appetite, yet Andersson saw 

 two natives despatch five of them in the course of an afternoon, besides a copious al- 

 lowance of flour and fat. According to the taste of this Swedish Nimrod, they afford 

 an excellent repast ; while Dr. Livingstone tells us they have a strong, disagreeable 

 flavor, which only the keen appetite of the desert can reconcile one to. But as there 

 is no accounting for tastes, the Romans seemed to have prized it ; and Firraus, one of 

 their pseudo-emperors, most likely desirous of emulating the gormandizing powers of 

 the bird on which he fed, is said to have devoured a whole ostrich at one sitting. 

 Even the egg-shell has its value, and is an excellent vessel for holding liquids of any 

 kind. The Bushmen have hardly any other household utensil. By covering it with 

 a light network it may be carried slung across the saddle. Grass and wood serve as 

 substitutes for corks. 



Though not possessing the true camel-bird, America has the large Eheas, which 

 from their size and similar habits have been styled the ostriches of the New World, 

 though differing in many essential characters. One species, the Rhea Darwinii, in- 

 habits Patagonia, while the Emu or Nandu {Rhea Americana) is found throughout 

 the whole eastern part of South America, from Buenos Ayres to the Orinoco, wherever 

 open plains, pampas, campos, or savannas, invite it to take up its residence. The 

 nandu is not near so tall as the true ostrich, scarcely rising above four feet, and is of 

 a uniform gray color except on the back, which has a brown tint. The back and rump 

 are furnished with long feathers, but not of the same rich and costly kind as those 

 which adorn the African ostrich. Its feeble wings merely serve to accelerate its flight, 

 serving it as oars or sails, particularly when running with the wind. It is not easily 

 caught, as it not only runs very fast, but in zigzag lines, so that the horse, rendered 

 giddy by so many evolutions, at length drops down with its rider. 



The galeated Cassowary, ( Casuarius galeatus), thus called from its head being sur- 

 mounted by a kind of horny helmet, is a native of Java and the adjacent isles. The 

 skin of the head and upper part of the neck is naked, of a deep blue and fiery red 

 tint, with pendant caruncles similar to those of the turkey-cock. It is much inferior 

 in size to the ostrich, and its wings are reduced to so rudimentary a state, consisting 

 merely of five long bristles, without any plumes, ihat they are even unable to assist it 

 in running. All its feathers are of the same kind, being entirely designed for cover- 



