272 
HISTORY OF THE CASSOWARY. 
The female lays from three to five large and beautifully shagreened 
green eggs upon a bed of leaves — the male and female sitting upon 
them alternately for about a month. This bird is the helmeted 
cassowary (Casuarius galeatus) of naturalists, and was for a long 
time the only species known. Others have since been discovered 
in New Guinea, New Britain, and North Australia." 
The history of the cassowary is interesting. In 1597, some stout 
Hollanders, returning from the East Indian islands, brought to 
Amsterdam a singular bird, which had never before been seen in 
Europe. It had been discovered at Banda, one of the Moluccas, 
where the natives named it emu or emeu. The prince or ruler of 
the town of Lydajo, in Java, gave it to the Dutch captain, one 
Mynheer Seelinger. At Amsterdam it formed an attractive and 
profitable public exhibition for several months ; after which the 
feathered wonder passed into the hands of the Count of Solms, 
and was removed to the Hague. At a later period it became the 
property of the Elector Palatine ; and, finally, of the Emperor Rudolph 
II. Was ever bird more highly placed ? Since its time, numerous 
other cassowaries have figured in Europe, and have been carefully 
studied b}^ competent authorities. But we are still in want of 
authentic details of their mode of life in a state of freedom. Their 
area of dispersion is not exactly known. The crested cassowary, 
as we have seen, is supposed to be a native of Ceram. Bennett's 
cassowary, or the mooruk, has been discovered in New Britain. 
The true country of the carunculated species is unknown ; and 
Kemp's cassowary has been found in New Guinea. The Australian 
cassowary is described by Gould as inhabiting the northern coast 
of Australia. 
All travellers agree in speaking of these birds as dwelling in 
the depths of the forest, and keeping themselves so jealously concealed 
that it is difficult to catch sight of them. At the least sign of danger 
they are " off" and away." In islands which are almost desolate they 
should not be rare, yet they are never seen in companies. Each 
individual seems as prone to melancholy solitude as Shakespeare's 
Jacques. But apparently it is by no means easy to gain any informa- 
