BIRDS. 287 
minately whatever comes in his way, and does not seem 
to have any sort of predilection in the choice of his food. 
He is a native of the southern parts of India ; the eggs of 
the female are nearly fifteen inches in circumference, of a 
greyish ash-colour, marked with green. It has been said 
of the Cassowary, that he has the head of a warrior, tlie 
eye of a lion, the armament of a porcupine, and the swift- 
ness of a courser. 
A Cassowary once kept in the menagerie of the museum 
at Paris, devoured every day betwixt three and four 
pounds weight of bread, six or seven apples, and a bunch 
of carrots. In summer it drank about four pints of water 
in the day ; and in winter somewhat more. It swallowed 
all its food without bruising it. This bird was sometimes 
ill-tempered and mischievous; and much irritated ^jhen 
any person approached it of a dirty or ragged appearance, 
or dressed in red clothes ; and frequently attempted to 
strike at them by kicking forward with its feet. It has 
been known to leap out of its enclosure, and to tear the 
legs of a man with its claws. 
The Cassowary is a very vigorous and powerful bird ; 
its beak being, in proportion, much stronger than that of 
the ostrich, it has the means of defending itself with great 
advantage, and of easily pulling down and breaking in 
pieces almost any hard substance. It strikes in a very 
dangerous manner with its feet, either behind or before, 
not unlike the kicking of a horse, at any object which 
offends it, and it runs with surprising swiftness. 
