310 
ORDERS OF BIRDS— WINGLESS LAND-BIRDS 
is a bird which is so constantly overshadowed 
by the larger and more showy African ostrich 
that it is not appreciated at its true zoological 
value. In height it stands about 5 feet, its bulk 
is only about one-half as great as that of the 
African ostrich, and its plumage has much 
less value. Nevertheless, the adult bird, in 
full plumage, is a fine creature, of a beautiful 
bluish-gray or drab color, and when it opens 
its wings they seem surprisingly long. A fine, 
male Rhea “showing off” its plumage is an 
object which always commands admiration. 
This bird inhabits Patagonia, the Argentine 
Republic, and the more remote plains of Uru- 
guay and Paraguay. Frequently, half -grown 
birds find their way into the wild-animal mar- 
kets so easily that they sell at from $40 to $50 
each. 
The Emeu 1 stands half way, literally, be- 
tween the ostrich and cassowary, being con- 
siderably larger 'than the latter. Its neck and 
head are ostrich-like, but in the shape of its 
body it is more like the cassowary. Like the 
latter, its feathers seem like long, coarse hair, 
of a gray-brown color. The lower outline of 
an Emeu’s body is almost a straight line, with 
the legs in the centre, and the highest point of 
the back curve comes directly above the inser- 
tion of the legs. Thus the Emeu appears to 
be, and is, a very well-balanced bird. Its home 
is the upland plains of Australia, so far back 
in the interior that it is now found only with 
great difficulty. 
lake the cassowary, the Emeu is easily 
kept in captivity, and is not expensive to buy. 
In Woburn Park, England, owned by the Duke 
of Bedford, troops of these birds stalk freely over 
the vast green lawn; and surely no birds could 
be more striking, or picturesque in such situa- 
tions. Strange to say, a fully grown Emeu 
can be bought in New York for $125. 
1 Dro'mae-us no-vae-hol'land-ae. 
The Ceram Cassowary 3 is a big, purplish- 
black bird, with highly-colored patches of 
naked skin on its upper neck, and an elevated 
helmet or casque on the base of its upper 
mandible. Its feathers look like coarse and 
stiff hair from three to six inches in length, and 
its legs and feet are very thick and heavy for 
its stature. The height of a Cassowary is about 
5 feet. 
Cassowaries are forest-loving birds. They 
inhabit Australia, Ceram, and other islands 
of the Malay Archipelago. Because they take 
kindly to captivity, they are frequently seen 
in zoological parks and gardens, and travelling 
shows. 
The Apteryx, or Kiwi , 3 of New Zealand is 
the lowest species in the scale of living birds. 
It is absolutely without wings, and it lives 
upon the ground in dark forests, where it can 
hide. Unfortunately, it has no means of de- 
fence, and is too small to escape from a dan- 
gerous enemy by running away. It is about the 
size of a Cochin-China hen, covered with long, 
stringy, hair-like feathers of a dark-brown color, 
and it has a long, curved beak like that of an 
ibis, for probing in the earth. Undoubtedly, 
the civilized development of New Zealand will 
cause the total extinction of this very shy but 
interesting species at no distant day. 
In captivity in a zoological garden it is as 
shy and retiring as a beaver. In order to keep 
it from fretting itself to death, it is necessary 
to place in a corner of its cage a sheaf of 
straw, or a bundle of leafy branches, behind 
which it can retreat from observation, and lie 
concealed. 
Outside of its New Zealand home, this bird is 
rarely seen in captivity, which is to be regret- 
ted, because it is one of the most interesting 
forms of the whole avian world. 
2 Cas-u-a'ri-us gal-e-a'ta. 
3 Ap'-te-ryx aus-tral'is. 
