THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
This bird was presented by Mr. Johnson to the Australian Museum and 
Mr. Gerard Krefft, the curator, published a correct description. Dr. Mueller’s 
description being not quite accurate.* 
Mr. Carron, writing to the Sydney Herald on February 8th, 1867, says 
he has seen Mr. Krefft’s specimen, which is identical with that shot by Thomas 
Wall in November, 1848. “ I am aware that in the few remarks on Wall’s 
bird which appear in my narrative of Kennedy’s expedition, there is an error 
as to the colour of its helmet or comb, which was black, not red (the redness 
referred to the wattles), an error which I have before corrected. As I was 
present when Wall’s bird was shot, and helped to eat it, I had a good opportunity 
of knowing something about it. Instead of going in flocks of five or six together, 
it is certainly a solitary bird, and would appear to be very scarce, as only two 
others were seen by our party during the whole journey from Rockingham Bay 
to my furthest camp at Weymouth Bay, in latitude 12° 25' S.”tJ 
Mr. E. P. Ramsay (to whom we are indebted for so much of the life- 
history of this bird), writing from Cardwell, Queensland, on April 2nd, 1874, 
says he found the Cassowary by no means rare there. He also got the eggs, four 
having been laid when the nest was found. He also got a young bird, which 
was fond of bathing. It stood about 3 feet 6 inches in height. He further 
remarks that this species swims well, and the birds frequently escaped by 
swimming across the creeks. They were also plentiful on Hinchinbrook Island, 
two miles from the mainland. § 
The following is the best life-history I can find of this species : — 
“ The Australian Cassowary is a denizen of the dense, dark scrubs scattered 
over the district of Rockingham Bay, and extending as far north as the 
Endeavour River. It was tolerably plentiful only a few years ago, even in the 
neighbourhood of Cardwell, but since the advent of the sugar-planters, etc., on 
the Herbert River and adjacent creeks, these fine birds have been most 
ruthlessly shot down and destroyed for the sake of their skins, several of which 
I saw used for hearth-rugs and door-mats. Formerly they were easily enough 
procured, but lately, so wary have they become and their numbers so decreased, 
that it is only with the greatest amount of patience even a stray shot can 
be obtained. I know of no bird so wary and timid ; and although their fresh 
tracks may be plentiful enough, and easily found in the soft mud on the sides 
of the creeks, or under their favourite feeding-trees, yet the birds themselves 
are seldom now seen. During the day they remain in the most dense part of 
* P.Z.S., p. 482 (1867). 
t Op. cit., p. 473 (1867). 
J Carron does not give any description in his Narrative of Kennedy's Expedition, the description he refers 
to being Wall’s in the Illustrated Sydney Herald. 
§ P.Z.S., p. 326 (1874). 
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