SUB-FOSSIL REMAINS FROM KING ISLAND 
Throughout the whole of Australia there is only one species of 
Emu*. Six. living species of Apteryx are recognised on the islands 
of New Zealand, where there also exist the remains of at least 
twenty species of Dinornis and closely allied genera. In Australia 
there is only one species of Cassowary ; on the Papuan Islands to 
the north there are no fewer than ten species, and of these one 
species may he confined to one island, as in the case of the well 
known Ceram Cassowary, or several may occur on the same island 
as in the case of New Guinea. 
It is thus apparent that for some reason or another an 
insular environment is associated with considerable variation 
amongst Ratite birds. It would not therefore be a matter of 
surprise, judging by what has taken place in the case of the Ratite 
birds of New Guinea and the surrounding islands to the north of 
Australia, if King and Kangaroo Islands and Tasmania each 
possessed its own species of Emu. 
1 he measurements in the table given above indicate very 
clearly the fact that the King and Kangaroo Island Emus were 
quite distinct from those of the mainland. Of this there can be 
no doubt whatever. l'here now remains the question of the 
identity or otherwise of the two former. Despite the fact that in 
the case of the femur, ti bio-tarsus and tarso-metatarsus our 
collection from King Island includes in each case one or two bones 
equal in length to the corresponding hones in the Paris specimen 
tiom Kangaroo Island, it is clear that these belong to exceptionally 
huge specimens, and that the average size ot these hones was con- 
siderably less than the maximum given in the table. The two 
hones from Kangaroo Island also indicate the fact that the species 
of Emu inhabiting the latter was of decidedly less robust build 
t mil that of King Island. Not only is this so, but the measure- 
ments of the skull and pelvis are quite sufficient to distinguish the 
two species. ° 
Ltith the King Plain! and the Kangaroo Island species were 
distinguished by ilieir dark colour from that of the mainland. 
, t th f !', a 'i e T.'' ‘‘I! wit !' the 'I'K'stion of the Tasmanian Emu. 
ioti'iv! T M m ‘ 18 e ?? nt in »•«* island, hut names such 
. 1 , Emu and l-.mu 1 lams evidently indicate the fact that when 
the island was hist occupied by white men, and probably for mam 
years afterwards, Emus did exist. Tile only examples ot the Tas- 
mu.n.ui Emu of which we can find any record are two skins of 
ad.il. birds presented to the British Museum by Mr lJ, hid Gunn 
and redded 1^ Omy m his Eist of Birds in the British' S 
C adhigt l,f B id" IS! 1 895 a,i0r ' thc British 
• D. x.w. 
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