The Emeu. BIRDS. The Apteryx. 407 
thong. The latter instrument is thrown at the legs of 
the bird, which it binds together, and, of course, pre- 
vents all further progress. 
THE EMEU {Droinaius Novae- HoUandiai ) — Plate 22, 
fig. 82. In the Emeu, as in tlie remaining species of 
this family, the feet consist of three toes; its distinctive 
characters consist in the position of the nostrils, which 
open not far from the tip of the upper mandible, in the 
complete concealment of the wings under the hair-like 
feathers of the hodj'^, and in the claws of all the toes 
being nearly equal in length. This bird is inferior in 
size only to the African ostrich, measuring from five 
to seven feet in height ; the crown of its head and the 
back of the neck are clothed with feathers, but the 
throat is naked, and the plumage, which hangs down 
like long hair on each side of the body, is of a mixture 
of brown and gray tints. 
The Emeu is abundant in the southern parts of 
Australia, but it is rapidly becoming extinct in the 
British Colonies. Its flesh is very good, that of the 
young birds especially being exceedingly delicate; the 
eggs, which are of a green colour, are also eaten both 
by natives and colonists, and the natives of some dis- 
tricts are said to live chiefly upon Emeu’s eggs during 
the breeding season of these birds. Unlike the pre- 
ceding species, the Emeus pair, but the males, as in 
the Ilhea, hatch the eggs. The young birds exhibit 
black stripes upon a nearly white ground. 
BARTLETT'S EMEU (Dromaius irroratus) is a second 
species very nearly allied to the preceding, the existence 
of which was long since suspected by Mr. Bai'llett, but 
only recently proved bj' the importation of sijecimens 
into Europe. It is distinguished by its speckled plum- 
age, and iidiabits the western parts of Australia, where 
it would appear to represent the common Emeu. 
THE CASSOWARY {Casuarius galeatus ) — Plate 21, 
fig. 81. The Cassowaries, resembling the Emeus in 
liaving three toes on each foot, are distinguished from 
them by the inequality of the claws, of which the inner 
one is much elongated, by the presence of five stiff 
cylindrical shafts destitute of barbs in each wing, by 
the position of the nostrils near the middle of the 
upper mandible, and by their having a large horny 
casque or helmet on the crown of the head. 
The Common Cassowary is generally described as 
being a native of the Molucca Islands and of New 
Guinea, but Mr. Sclater states tliat the only certain 
locality that he knows for it is the island of Ceram. 
It is about five feet in height, and its body is clothed 
with a very long hair-like plumage of a black colour, 
tiirough which the five bare quills of the wings project ; 
its casque is black, and the naked wattled skin of the 
head and neck is bright red, tinged here and there 
with a somewhat livid azure blue. This bird feeds 
upon fruits, herbage, and seeds ; and, like the ostrich, 
swallows indiscriminately almost anything that comes 
in its way. It runs very swiftly, and when in danger 
kicks very severely with its powerful feet. Its eggs are 
of a grayish-green colour. 
THE MOORUK {Casuarius Bennettii) was latel}'^ 
described by Mr. Gould from specimens brought alive to 
Sydney from the island of New Britain, and afterwards 
presented by Dr. Bennett to the Zoological Gardens 
in London. It is a smaller bird than the common 
Cassowary, measuring less than four feet in height to 
the crown of the head ; the casque forms a sort of 
double crest at the back, the bare skin of the neck is 
blue, and the wings contain only four spines. The 
Mooruk runs very rapidly, and possesses an extra- 
ordinary power of leaping; it feeds principally on soft 
vegetable and animal matters, but, like the other birds 
of this family, will swallow almost anything. The 
natives of New Britain regard these birds as to a 
certain degree sacred, and treat them as pets, often 
carrying them about in their arms. 
Three other species of Cassowarj’- are mentioned 
by Mr. Sclater in the Proceedings of the Zoological 
Society. These are the Cape York Cassowary 
(C. australis), a native of North Australia, which has 
a “bright red helmet, and blue and scarlet caruncles;” 
the BicakunculatedCassowary(C'. hicarunculutus), 
distinguished by having the throat wattles placed far 
apart ; and a species mentioned by Mr. Blyth as living 
in a menagerie at Calcutta, in which the naked skin 
and wattles of the neck are yellow. These species are 
still very imperfectly known. 
Family IL— APTERYGIDiE. 
The three remarkable birds, inhabitants of New 
Zealand, whicli constitute this family resemble the 
Emeus in the general form of the body and in the 
nature of the plumage, but are at once distinguished 
from those ostrich-like birds by the shortness of their 
legs and the presence of a short hind toe, armed with 
a strong claw on each foot. A further distinction is 
afforded by the form of the bill, which is elongated, 
nearly cylindrical, and slightly curved; the nostrils are 
situated quite at the tip of the upper mandible. The 
wings, as in the Emeu, are rudimentary and completely 
concealed beneath the feathers of the body. 
SHAW’S APTERYX {Apteryx, austrulis)—VMa 22, 
fig. 83 — the species first discovered, was described by 
Dr. Shaw nearly fifty years ago; but for a long time its 
))lace in the system was a matter of dispute. It is 
called the Kici-kivi, in imitation of its cry, by the 
natives of New Zealand. This curious bird stands 
about two feet high when most erect ; its plumage is 
of a tolerably dark-brown colour. It runs with great 
rapidity, and when pursued takes refuge in holes of 
the rocks, or amongst the roots of a tree, which are 
also its haunts during the day-time. When seized it 
defends itself vigorously with- its powerful feet. Its 
activity is nocturnal, and it feeds princii)a]ly upon 
earthworms, which it captures by driving its long bill 
into tbe soil, first of all, according to some authors, 
stamping upon the ground as if to ascertain the presence 
of its prey. These birds live in pairs and construct a 
rough nest in the holes which they ordinarily frequent ; 
in this the female lays a single egg about the size of 
that of a goose. Their flesh is much esteemed by the 
New Zealanders, but a still bigher value is placed upon 
their skins or feathers, which are employed by the 
chiefs in the manufacture of cloaks. 
The other two species are Mantell’s Apteryx 
{A. Mantellii), and Owen’s Apteryx {A. Owenii). 
