THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Peron evidently considered the Emus from Kangaroo and King Islands 
to be identical, because in writing of King Island (Vol. II., p. 13) he remarks : — 
“ The interior of the forests conceals a great number of Cassowaries,” and 
on page 14 : “ The powerful Cassowary of a height of from 16 to 22 decimetres 
(5 to 7 feet) [5^c] lays eggs of the size of those of an ostrich, and more delicate 
than those of the latter. The flesh of this Antarctic bird, intermediate, so 
to say, between that of a Jungle Fowl and a young pig, is truly exquisite.” On 
both pages he refers to Plate XXXVI. When speaking of the Kangaroo 
Island bird as quoted above he also refers to Plate XXXVI. 
Mr. Dudley Le Souef tells me that in his opinion the Liverpool specimen 
(supposed to be this bird) is nothing but the young of D. novcB-hollandioe. 
Dr. E. Hartert, of the Tring Museum, who carefully measured this bird in 
1905, sends me the foUowmg: — Height to top of back, about 67 cm.; tarsus, about 
24 cm. ; middle toe without claw, 8 cm. ; outer toe without claw, cm. ; 
inner toe without claw, 5 cm. ; bill from end of feathering to tip, 43 mm. ; 
from gape, 87 mm. ; colour, dark brown ; head and neck, blackish ; new black 
feathers appearing on the back ; tail and feathers of belly more or less whitish 
brown, or edged with that colour. 
The specimen was presented to the Liverpool Museirm by Captain Mathews, 
of the steamship “ Great Britain,” 25th March, 1854. 
The plate and the description here given are taken from the works of 
Milne-Edwards and Oustalet, as quoted in the synonymy. 
I have examined and measured the mounted specimen in the Paris Museum. 
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